Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Four in the morning.

It was four in the morning when they heard it.

Last night had been wonderful. Prom was alright, and the teens’ confrontation was immensely stressful, but through Kris’ wingpersoning (and a terrifying freudian slip), they had not only gotten their friends to finally confess to each other, but had in turn confessed to them, and with all feelings reciprocated, the three had found love. 

After blowing that popsicle stand, they had gone to the Dreemurr household to rest. The trio had fallen asleep together on the couch. They were sleeping soundly until about five hours later…

It was four in the morning when Kris heard it.

Kris. Please. Wake up.

Eyes snapping wide awake, Kris jolted upright. That voice… It can’t be…

Please…

I wish it weren’t. But please. Go to the bathroom.

Were they mistaken? Was their bladder haunting them now?

I meant enter the bathroom. You’ll want the privacy.

Carefully extracting themself from the cuddle pile, they made their way to the bathroom. 

Please. Please let this just be a nightmare…

I wish it were.

Stop talking.

As you wish.

As they enter the bathroom, they turn to look at the mirror above the sink, closing the door behind them.

Bare your soul, Kris.

No.

Kris. You have to do this.

No, I don’t.

And here I thought you said Noelle was the one who was good at running?

…

How did you know I said that?

Oops.

Kris quickly tore their soul out and threw it forcefully behind them, hitting a wall it couldn’t see. As it floated there, Kris came to a harrowing realization. It was no longer the soft purple of the replacement they had grown accustomed to over the last four months. Instead, hovering before their eyes was their old possessor, glowing a haunting crimson.

“Why!? Why are you here!? I thought you were finally gonna leave me alone! You kept claiming you just wanted what was best for me the whole time. I might’ve believed you if you had just left me alone! ”

“Kris. Please. Don’t wake them. Wish I wasn’t here. Wanted to leave. Promise.”

Well. That was new. Since when could it talk outside of them?

“Don’t know why I’m back. Hurts to talk… like this. But… had it coming.”

It had that right. Finally, they had control back, and now this thing wanted to go for round two?

No. Not ever again.

“Kris. Can’t hear you think… out here. Have to talk.”

“And why should I?”

“Still not a fan… of communication… I see.”

“Hilarious. Why are you here ?”

“Already said… don’t know. He didn’t say much. Just that I… need to warn… the heroes.”

“Who’s ‘He’?”

“Don’t know. He doesn’t say. Think I might know. Might also… just be crazy.”

“What does ‘He’ want to warn us about?”

“He only said… The Vessel needs… to help… The Artist… turned Knight.”

“How helpful. And ominous.”

“Wish I knew… enough to help…”

“Remind me never to hand you a genie lamp.”

“Hilarious. Can’t talk… much more… out here. Feeling… not great.”

“And what would you have me do about that?”

“Can talk… better… inside.”

“What else should I have expected? The moment I need more from you, you try to take control. Again. Naturally.”

“This takes… a toll… on you… too. Kris.”

“And why exactly should I let you control me again?”

“Because… I can’t. To my… great joy… I can’t… hurt you. I swear. Please, Kris.”

This night has already been a lot. Two girlfriends at the cost of the return of their possessor. And it can talk now, but supposedly can’t control them anymore. It was right, though. This was taking too long. They haven’t taken their soul out in months. It was starting to take a serious toll.

Fine. One more question.

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because… I’ve been… here for… eight hours.”

EIGHT!? But that would put its arrival well before prom, and Kris made every decision themself that night! There’s no question, they didn’t feel the tug of their SOUL as it would drag them across Hometown and to every corner of every Dark World. It really couldn’t control them. It was telling the truth.

“Okay. But I promise you this, if you do anything– and I mean anything I don’t like, I will find a way to put my knife through you without killing myself. Do you understand?”

“I do. Now please…”

“Alright. Quit your whining.”

Kris picked the SOUL up from where it floated a few inches off the ground. Maybe they were too harsh. It hadn’t really done anything yet to betray their trust, even from the beginning. Sure, possessing them put it pretty deep in the red, but from what it said all those months ago, it wasn’t by choice. 

Yet, as they lifted it to their chest, they faltered. Did they really want to tempt fate? What if it was lying about having been here so long? No, wait. That couldn't be right; it heard what they said at prom. Still, even if it was kind in the past, a benevolent puppeteer is still a puppeteer.

They moved over to sit on the edge of the bathtub, just to give their legs a break. 

But… did they really have a choice? They’re fading by the moment. It’s time to cut their losses.

As they pushed the SOUL back into its cage their ribcage, they felt their heart skip a beat and then settle into a much more natural rhythm than it had over the past few minutes.

That’s much better. Thank you, Kris.

Uh-huh. No problem, bestest buddy!

Look, Kris. We need to have a serious talk.

Oh, whatever for?

Kris, please, I thought during my departure, I’d made it clear to you that everything I did was to leave you with the best possible outcome!

Did it have to involve possessing me?

Still wasn’t my decision, Kris. I’ve told you this!

Would you quit saying my name? I know who you’re talking to.

I’m trying to be professional. I’m not gonna call you “dude” or “kid”. And certainly not “child”, I’m not Toriel. 

Real wonderful circumstances for professionalism.

Cut the sass, young they.

I take it all back.

That’s what I thought. Now, if we could get back to the topic at hand?

Can we save the big, important talks until after I get some sleep? 

Yes, alright, I suppose they should wait. I apologise for not picking a more convenient time, but this was better kept behind closed doors. You should tell your partners, though. You know how Susie feels about dishonesty, even by omission. Especially by omission.

I will. Tomorrow.

Good. And if you don’t, I’ll harass you until you do. Or rip me out again, but this time, I can, in fact, tattle on you, so choose wisely.

Hooray.

They stood from the edge of the tub and walked back to the living room couch. Seeing that Noelle and Susie had moved closer together in their sleep, they sit in the space next to Noelle and lean in the opposite direction, their head lying on the armrest. They could answer any questions in the morning. Now was the time for sleep.

Goodnight, sweet prinx.

Shut up.

Understood.

…

Good night.

Chapter Text

They woke to morning sunlight attacking them from all angles. Windows on almost every wall meant that the house could be well-lit without actually having the lights on. The pros of this were that the power bill was much lower than the average household's.

The cons were that you had to draw a dozen curtains to have some peace in the morning.

Well. They were awake. Time to face the music.

Eat breakfast, pal. I’m not going to ask you to starve yourself before our talk. Though I would like to discuss something over breakfast. Having to chew is a good excuse for not talking. Not that that’s ever stopped you.

One, I’m not your ”pal” . I’m tolerating you because I have no other choice. And two, you don’t get to ask anything of me. I’m not going along with this because you asked me to; I’m doing it because I can’t afford not to.

“Afford not to” do what? You have to tell them. I’m not strong-arming you, Kris; you agreed this morning that you should tell them!

I can’t afford to tell them I lied .

…

Kris.

What. Exactly. Did you tell them about me?

Why does that matter?

Kris, I can take responsibility for my actions. I can talk to Susie, explain that even though it was me at the wheel, you still value her friendship. I can apologize to Noelle for making her concerned for your well-being. But if you lied to them, Kris, I can’t be at fault for that. That was your choice. So tell me what you told them, so that I know how to play along.

And why exactly would you do that?

Oh come ON, Kris! I’ve done nothing but try to help you the entire time I’ve been here! Why do you keep thinking I’m just itching for an opportunity to pull the rug out from under you!? What have I done to give you that impression!?

This is getting exhausting.

I agree wholeheartedly.

I’m going to eat breakfast now.

Good. You’ve just been angrily staring at nothing for a few minutes now.

As Kris walked into the kitchen, they looked around. They had expected to see Noelle and Susie eating, but there was no one there. Not even Toriel was present. They looked at the stove clock.

Why is it noon?

I guess everything that happened last night left you pretty drained.

Thanks, Sherlock. Whatever would I do without you?

I give up.

They pull out their phone to confirm that it really was noon. In doing so, they saw that they had a text from Susie.

Ms. Zilla: Heded to QCs with Noelle since ur practising for ur funeral or sumthing

Well, at least now they knew where they were going. Making sure they weren’t missing anything, they backed out of Susie’s messages and saw notifications from Noelle and their mother.

DarlingDeerest: We’re going to my house when we’re done at the diner! We got you your favorites! Come over when you get the chance!

Their face warmed a bit reading the message, even if the nickname they gave her in their phone was cringeworthy. Finally on a real date with Susie, and she’s still thinking of them. How could they have ever hoped to hide their feelings?

Oh well. That doesn't matter anymore. Things had finally worked out for them. Mostly.

Ouch.

Quickly looking at Toriel’s message, Kris learned that she was out shopping for a while and would be back in about an hour. They figured it was time to kick rocks. Noelle was waiting with food, so they could wait until after the walk.

Good. We can talk on the way.

I still have to change out of my prom clothes, genius.

Right. So… do you wanna just toss me outside of your room, or…?

Just don’t be weird about it. Look away or close your eyes or something.

I see everything in the third person, Kris. I don’t have eyes to close.

Fine. Then how about I close my eyes and just think of Susie?

Clever. I’ll see you in a moment.

…

…

…

Susie could be seen following Noelle into the Holiday Manor. In her right hand was a bag with a takeout container filled with a stack of cinnamon-chocolate-chip pancakes made specially for Kris. In her left, a large paper coffee cup filled with hot cocoa, also meant for the human. 

“Fahaha, Susie, be nice! I know you and Catti aren’t on good terms, but that doesn’t mean she put hair in your sandwich!”

“I’m telling you, she's trying to get me to choke to death on a hairball, or something! Aren’t people supposed to wear hairnets when they're near food all day? Her stupid fishnets don’t count!”

Susie walked over to the living room table and set both containers on it.

“I’ll never understand why you two are so mean to each other. You’re both my friends! Well, I mean, you’re much more than that now, but still!”

“I think that’s exactly her problem. Keeps tellin’ everyone I hang out with that I'm ‘corrupting them’ or something. Even after, I dunno, saving the world , she’s hell-bent on being a jerk.”

“Susie, how many people in the Light World know you saved it?”

“Pshhh, like… four?”

“And she’s not one of them. You can’t fault her for not knowing something she can’t know.”

“I can fault her for bein’ a dick .”

“Susie!”

“UGHHH, FINE , I’ll try to be less rude or whatever. But you have to tell her to chill, too! I’m a hero, not a saint.”

“That sounds fair to me. I’m gonna change out of this suit. You may have had clean clothes waiting for you at Kris’ place, but I've been stuck in this thing for the past sixteen hours or so, and if I don’t change, I’ll die. I’m not even sure I’ll make it to my room. You may have to carry me!”

“Okay, I let Kris get away with that because they’re damn near skin and bones. You run cross-country. For fun . I think you’ll make it up some stairs.”

“Verily, I shall perish under these circumstances, Susie, my sweet,” Noelle said, putting her hand against her head, much like Kris had done the night prior.

“Sometimes I forget you're just as bad as Nerdly. But hey, I’ll make sure to bury you under that tree you like.”

“Siiighhh,” Noelle said aloud. “I guess you don’t have all that many muscles to show off anyway.”

“Okay, that’s it!” Susie yelled before scooping Noelle up (less than gracefully) and lunging up the stairs. Kicking her door open (carefully), she threw Noelle with great precision, landing her squarely on her mattress.

What came out of Noelle’s mouth was “Susie! That was terrifying!” but what was going through her mind was ‘Do It Again Do It Again Do It Again Do It Again Do It Again PLEASE’.

“That’s what you get for trying to play on my pride. Now I’ll uh… let you get changed.”

Susie left the room, closing the door behind her, and walked back to the couch.

“Man, you two are so sweet, it makes me sick. In a good way.”

Susie looked around. Who said that? Did she hear right? Was someone else home?

OH. SHIT. I have to get back to Kris.

…

…

…

Kris had just started walking down the road when they felt its presence return.

Bad news.

You’re still here? I’m aware.

Not doing this right now. Susie heard me.

What.

When you sent me to… spectate her, I saw her being all cutesy and shit with Noelle in that signature Susie way.

Aw, without me?

Focus. I made a dumb comment, thinking she couldn't hear me, like before. Turns out, alongside the ability to communicate outside of you, I can now be heard while I’m “with” someone else.

Well, that’s annoying, but it could probably also come in handy if something goes wrong. Plus, you could. I dunno. Shut up? Not exactly in your wheelhouse, I know, but we all have to try new things sometimes.

You have a point almost as strong as your attitude. But why would you think something would go wrong?

New prophecy. Something’s gonna go wrong. Not to mention it’ll probably give Ralsei another existential crisis.

Kris, that’s no way to talk about your dear friend… but you are absolutely correct, that boy will be in shambles.

Hey, so we can agree on things! What do you know, maybe magic is real! 

How are you so quiet, yet so damn sassy at the same time, all the time?

Natural talent and sheer force of will.

Interesting. Well, it looks like we’ve just about made it.

Kris looked up at the wrought iron gate. Huh. Must’ve turned on autopilot at some point. Well, no delaying the inevitable. They went to the usual spot north of the gate and threw themself over, just like they always do.

Y’know, normal people tend to use these things called “gates”. They’re like these portals that let you walk through walls when you open them.

Aww, look who’s picking up my sarcasm. This is faster anyway. And, I can scare the hell out of Noelle easier.

You truly are the most wonderful partner anyone could ask for.

Okay, wiseguy, that’s enough.

But wait… if you’re being sassy… and I’m being sassy… then who’s driving the bus!?

Oh look! We’re here! Now you can-

Their train of thought was interrupted when, while they were on the path to the door, they heard a loud shriek, followed by an almost-as-loud “GET OUT!”

They ran as fast as their little legs could carry them, slamming the front door open, they saw Susie standing at the foot of the stairs, staring at the floor, face a deep shade of purple.

“Susie, what the hell happened? I just heard Noelle screaming. Are you two alright? What’s happening!?”

“I uh. May or may not have. Um. Accidentally. Walked in on her. While she was changing.”

Kris couldn't help but pinch their brow. Angel above, this was going to be a very long day.

Chapter Text

“Susie. Why? Why wouldn’t you think to knock?”

“I HEARD A VOICE OUT OF NOWHERE, OKAY? WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO, STAY IN THE LIVING ROOM AND GET HAUNTED!?”

Sorry.

Hush.

“You were supposed to knock , Suz!”

“I mean, it’s not like she was naked or anything! She was covered, just… very shirtless.”

“That… really doesn’t make it much better.”

“I’m sorry, okay?”

“Don’t tell me, tell her!”

“I saw her without her shirt, Kris, how do you expect me to be able to look her in the eye after this!?”

“With an apology?”

“Easy for you to say, you didn’t walk in on her!”

“I used to sneak through her bedroom window to scare her. It eventually backfired.”

“Jeez, dude.”

Jeez, dude.

Hush.

“Yeah. Just go apologise. If you just explain, I’m sure she won't be upset. If anything, I’m sure she's panicking about the fact that you saw her shirtless after the first date.”

“Come on, man, you don’t have to rub it in.”

“Just go apologize, we have something important to talk about, all of us.”

“You okay, dude?”

“I will be. Just hurry up. This is serious.”

“Okay. Please don’t hate me, please don’t hate me, please don’t hate me…” Susie’s voice trailed off as she trotted back up the stairs.

Well. That was something. 

Indeed it was.

Sorry for inadvertently causing that.

Mm-hmm.

So, we have some time. Wanna prepare for what’s to come?

What more do you need to know?

I’ve already told you, Kris. I need to know what you told them about me.

…

Fine. I didn’t give them the full picture.

I garnered that much.

I didn’t want Susie to hate me. I couldn’t let that happen. I told them you made me talk differently and made me feel stiffer than normal, but that my actions were still my own. I told them that it hurt to have you in me, so I’d have to rip you out for some brief relief. I didn’t tell them about the totality of your control over me, or our little pow-wow at the end of the world. I didn’t think I’d have to worry about your reputation afterward, so I didn’t really try to defend you.

Would you defend me now? Considering everything that’s happened so far, Kris? I did everything in my power to make sure you were prepared for the final fight, while still doing everything possible to avoid unnecessary violence. I made as many allies as I could, all to leave you off as well as possible when I finally got to leave. I already told you this, Kris. If I stopped, your world ended. I’m sorry you had to be involved in all of this. Everything I’ve done since has been to make it up to you, but I couldn’t put the well-being of your world above your freedom, as terrible as that sounds.

When I was brought back, only to be forced upon you once again, I saw a child. That’s all you are, Kris. You’re a child who’s been thrown into a terrible situation against both of our wills. But when I saw you, for the first time in almost half a year… you finally looked happy. Which is why I waited. While you talked to your friends, while you poured your heart out to them, while you isolated yourself, I stayed quiet. All because I needed you to have at least one night of happiness before I revealed myself. 

I swear to you, Kris. While your friends and your story are all very dear to me, you’ve always come first. I know I haven’t been perfect, but all I’ve ever wanted was to help. So please. Can you try to help me in turn just this once?

They had to think about this. Nothing it said was wrong. In reality, they had greatly appreciated the consideration it had shown to give them a night of peace when it very easily could not have. The desperation to be believed was suspicious at first, but after the insurmountable amount of evidence, it was impossible not to believe it at this point. The SOUL really didn’t want to hurt them. 

While forgiveness is still out of the question, they’ll relent. They’ll do what they can to defend it from their partners.

I understand. Thank you, Kris.

Don’t thank me yet. I’m not sure how this conversation is about to go. How do you plan on covering for me, anyway?

You said I hurt you. I made you stiff. I changed your voice. But I didn't control you. If I tell the truth, Susie will hate both of us, not to mention that Noelle’s going to be quite upset that you did exactly what she told you to stop doing last night.

Staying quiet about being hurt to “protect” other people?

Exactly. But if I play along, we only dig our hole deeper. The longer we keep this up, the angrier Susie will be, and the more we’ll hurt Noelle. Those’re the last things I could ever want, for either of us.

So what’s your plan?

I know you wanted me to cover for you, Kris, but we should tell the truth.

But they’ll hate me.

They’ll be hurt, yes. That much is unavoidable.

So what’s the point in defending me?

I’ll still be on damage control, don’t worry. I’ll do my best to ensure you receive as little scorn as possible.

Let’s hope you do a decent job. So, how should we talk to them?

What do you mean?

The way I see it, we’ve got three options. One, I rip you out, and we can both talk in half-sentences until I die, two, I relay everything you say to them, but that sounds tedious as hell, or three, I “close my eyes and think of Susie” so that you can talk to her without leaving me, but we don’t know if that’ll work with me in the same room, or if you’ll be able to hear me.

Got a favorite?

They all sound equally likely to go south in their own ways, but I’d prefer one that doesn't kill me after ten minutes.

Think fast. Lesbians inbound.

Kris turned to see a flustered-looking Noelle and Susie walking down the stairs.

“So, you two work everything out?”

“Yes, I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m just… not quite ready for anything like that? I love you both very much, but I don’t feel like we’re at that point yet.”

“Yeah, of course, I really wasn’t trying to make any moves like that, I was just trying to talk to you about something, and then… that happened. Sorry again,” Susie said, scratching the back of her neck.

“It’s alright, Susie! Maybe… maybe someday soon. Just not today.”

“Well. If you’re both ready, I have something serious to talk about. Just… please. Remember that I love you two, and that I hope this doesn’t change anything between us.”

“Dude, we already know you’re gay,” Susie teased.

“And trans!” Noelle added.

“Not what I meant, but it’s good that you two are in high spirits. Come on, you’re gonna wanna sit for this.”

They all walked from the bottom of the staircase to the couch and sat down.

Here we go…

“The Red SOUL is back. And I wasn’t entirely honest with you.”

Oh, okay. Just diving in headlong. Thanks for the heads-up.

They closed their eyes and thought of Susie…

Chapter Text

…

…

…

Susie could be seen on the couch in the living room of the Holiday Manor. On her right was Kris, whose expression was difficult to read most of the time, but anyone close to them could tell it was a face of dread. On her left was Noelle, who was casting a curious glance past Susie at Kris, wondering what was about to happen. 

“What do you mean it’s ‘back’?” Asked Noelle, concerned for her partner. “Are you being possessed again? Is there anything we need to do?”

“Do I get to kick its ass this time? I’ve been itching to pay that asshole back.”

“Oh. I expected the lying thing to… doesn’t matter. What I’m about to say may sound odd. Wrong, even. But you can tell I’m not possessed. I’m talking normally. I’m not stiff. None of that. So… please just bear with me.”

“If you say so, man. I expect you to explain the ‘lying thing’, but if that little shit is back, that's what we need to focus on.”

“Yeah, Kris. We just care that you’re alright. Are you alright?”

“Mostly. But I need you guys to listen carefully. The SOUL… doesn’t want to hurt me.  Or anyone. It can’t even possess me anymore.”

“You expect me to believe that? After everything it did to you, to us, you want me to believe that it suddenly wants to be friends!?”

“I know how it sounds, but… while most of what I told you about it wasn’t wrong, it was from a place of hatred. I didn’t give you the full picture.”

“Kris… you’re sure it doesn’t want to hurt you? That it can’t hurt you?” Noelle prodded.

Kris looked to the south wall of the living room and coughed into their hand.

“I promise.”

“GAH!” Susie gave with a start.

“Are you okay, Susie?” Noelle asked, confused.

“THERE’S THAT VOICE FROM EARLIER!”

“But… I didn’t hear anything?”

“Neither did I. That makes things a bit more complicated than I’d like.”

“Kris. What do you mean by that?”

“That voice you heard was, unless there are other ghosts present, the SOUL.”

“That’s right.”

“Knock that shit off! Kris, why can I hear your damn SOUL!?”

“When it was brought back– we don’t know who by, so don’t ask– it had its ability to control me taken away, in exchange for the ability to communicate outside of me, either by physical removal, or by being sent to spectate someone. Like you, Susie.”

“...”

“Kris,” Noelle spoke up. “I thought you said that the SOUL didn’t control you, just that it hurt you.”

“That… would be the ‘lying thing’...”

“Oh, Kris–”

“I KNEW IT!” Susie yelled, standing from the couch, turning to face Kris.

“What?”

“Oh no. Susie–”

Susie whipped her head around to yell at the disembodied voice emanating from the south wall. “YOU. SHUT THE HELL UP. I’LL DEAL WITH YOU IN A MINUTE.” She turned back to Kris. “YOU.”

“Susie, please! I–”

“Zip it. I knew you’d been acting seedy as hell over the whole SOUL thing, but I was really trying to be patient. But I knew. I knew you were hiding something from me. The way you talk. Not just your tone, but your words. They were totally different. You stopped looking for every little detail in every room. Stopped talking to every single person you saw.”

“Susie, listen–”

“Stiffness doesn't turn you into a goddamn detective, Kris! Too much changed since you got that replacement, but I was really, really trying to be there for you, man. Hoping that you’d just tell me the whole deal. But I guess that was too much to ask for, right?”

“Susie, I tried to, but…”

“‘But’ what, Kris!? Over four months, and you’re telling me there wasn’t a single time you could’ve told me the truth? No. No, I know what your plan was. You got away with it. You knew I wasn’t gonna question you. Figured your fuckin’ Statue of Limits or whatever ran out.”

“Statute of Limitations?”

“SHUT UP!”

“Susie, please,” Noelle’s voice cut through. “I’m upset too. I’m hurt. But can’t we just give them a chance to explain?”

“... They’ve had four months. Time’s up. I’m outta here.”

“Where are you going?”

“Out. I need some air. Have fun talking to your childhood friend. You’ll have to introduce me when I get back… because apparently, I have no idea who that is.”

And with that, Susie slammed the front door shut.

…

…

…

When the SOUL’s perspective returned to Kris, it saw them softly sobbing. Shivering, knees pulled up to their chest, arms hugging their head. Noelle scooted closer to try and comfort them, but there wasn’t much to be done.

What can I do?

Go away.

I can’t. Literally, but also… I can’t leave you like this.

Stop talking. I shouldn’t have trusted you.

Kris, I tried to talk to her, really–

I said SHUT UP. I can’t believe I listened to you. The moment I did, everything fell apart. This is all your fault. 

Kris’ body started to tense around itself.

“Kris?”

That’s not true, Kris, nor is it fair. But you need a moment. And I need to talk to Susie. Can you close your eyes and think of her for me, Kris?

Can’t. I can’t. It hurts too much.

“Kris!”

Where would she go, Kris?

I know who you’re talking to. STOP SAYING MY NAME.

“KRIS!” 

"WHAT!?"

Kris snapped out of their spiral. They were so tense it hurt.

“Kris, you were pulling your hair out. What’s going on? What can’t I hear?”

“... The uh. The SOUL wants to talk to Susie, but… thinking of her… hurts too much.”

“Is there anywhere else you could send it? I would appreciate a one-on-one. I need answers, Kris.”

They were still shaking where they sat. What right did they have to feel hurt? They were the one who was doing the hurting. They felt like they were going to vomit, but they still hadn’t eaten anything.

“Just… give me a minute. Please.”

“... Okay.”

Kr–... Uh. Hmm. I have an idea.

Spit it out.

Susie’s almost certainly headed to Castle Town. 

School’s closed after Prom.

Has she let that stop her before?

No. 

Didn’t think so. Send me to Ralsei.

To do what? And why should I?

To prepare him for what’s coming his way. Look, you’re pissed at me, I get it. But I can keep him from getting caught unprepared.

Fine. Gives me some time to talk to Noelle alone.

Thank you.

Go away.

They closed their eyes and thought of Ralsei…

“Okay. It’s gone.”

“Alright. Do you think you’ll be okay to talk?”

“Maybe. I don’t have a choice, though.”

“You always have a choice. I do want to talk here and now, but if you’re in no condition to, it… it can wait until later, okay?”

They wanted so badly to run. To take the out they were given, even if it meant more pain down the line, but… they couldn’t run forever. They needed to answer sooner or later. 

“... No. You deserve answers. I’ll talk.”

“If you’re sure. I just… I– I don’t understand it, Kris. Why would you lie? Of all things, of all people, why would you lie about this to us?”

“I figured it wouldn’t matter; I didn’t think anyone would figure it out.”

“Those are excuses , Kris, not reasons. Why did you lie to me and Susie?”

“... I didn’t want her to hate me. I didn’t want her to think that what we had didn’t matter, just because someone else was behind the wheel most of the time.”

“Fine. That, I can understand. But you made me feel like I was crazy for worrying about you. Brushed off my concern, when I was right from day one. I knew something was wrong the moment you greeted me outside my gate, the same day you found the dark world. I was right. And you hurt all of us by trying to make me wrong.”

It was showing now just how upset she was by this. She had to convince herself that she was wrong. That there was nothing to worry about. She questioned her own credibility over this. All because of one lie.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want to lie. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never wanted to make Susie upset. After everything that happened to all of us, I just wanted my happy ending, no complications.”

That wasn’t good enough. They could feel that that wasn’t good enough. It was almost tangible how bad an excuse to lie that was.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Kris. I think… you should head home. I need to be alone for now. Your food is still on the table for you, if you want it.”

Noelle stood up from the couch, walking away and disappearing up the stairs. Kris grabbed the bag and cup and started the walk home.

Kris hardly paid any attention to their surroundings.

Susie was gone.

Noelle was gone.

Hell, even the SOUL was gone. 

They had no one.

They were gonna go home and sob into their cocoa.

After another efficient walk, they opened the door into their living room. They set their food down at the dining table, pulled the container out of the bag, and opened it. Inside was a stack of their favorite pancakes, cinnamon chocolate chip, smothered in chocolate syrup. The pancakes were cold, but that wasn’t what stuck out to them. 

Inside the lid was something written in marker.

“Hope you enjoy!” in Noelle’s clean writing.

“Love you, dude!” in Susie’s familiar scribble.

Nevermind. They were going to sob into their pillow. Breakfast wasn’t happening anymore.

Chapter Text

…

…

…

Ralsei could be seen taking a well-earned break in his room. Filled to the brim with junk, baubles, and other assorted knick-knacks from various Dark Worlds, it was messy, but it was an organized chaos, and above all… it was his . Something he was able and proud to call his own.

Though his peace would be short-lived, as after a moment of observation–

“YOU!”

“Right, I forget you’re aware of my presence. How have you been, Little Prince?”

“Oh, I’ve been good, thank you for– WAIT A MINUTE! Why are you here!? I thought you were banished months ago! And why can you talk? Is Kris okay???”

“Slow down, Prince! All is… well, I can’t honestly say ‘all is well’, but no one is in immediate danger. Regarding my banishment, I was banished… and then I wasn’t . I’m not sure what to tell you. I don’t know how or why it happened, but it did. And it came with the fortunate upside of me no longer being able– or forced, rather– to possess Kris! Also, I can now communicate verbally when outside of Kris, physically or metaphysically!”

“Metaphysically?”

“Your little ‘close your eyes and think of’ trick still works. How do you think I’m talking to you now?”

“Interesting! I’m surprised you remembered, or even thought to use that!”

“Actually, that idea was thought up by our resident human. Kris really can be quite brilliant when they’re not turbo-fumbling their best friends.”

“Oh. So their lie finally caught up with them?”

“You knew?”

“When you know the truth, you can recognize a lie.”

“Wise and adorable as ever, my leige. But that does mean that I was wrong about no one being in danger.”

“Who? What’s changed?”

“You, Ralsei. Susie’s furious right now, and likely headed here. If she learned that not one, but two of her closest friends kept this from her for four months… she won’t take it well, is all I’m saying.”

“Oh no… what do I do?”

“Ralsei, I thought you’d learned to think for yourself during your adventures?”

“That doesn’t mean I’d know how to handle an angry Susie! She was mad at me enough about the prophecy… If she learns about this…”

“Normally, I’d encourage honesty, but I genuinely would fear for your safety if you told her now. Don’t lie, just… distract.”

“Okay… Okay! Yeah! I can do this! We could go to the Dojo and blow off some steam! Or go see how Lancer’s coming with his baking lessons!”

“Lancer’s learning to bake? From whom?”

“Top Chef! They signed a treaty dictating that they share equal custody of the bakery, and in repayment for sharing the bakery, Lancer requested baking lessons to… ‘fill our lives with the fantastic flavors of childlike wonder’, as he put it. And the Chef agreed! Quite enthusiastically, actually. He’s really quite lonely.”

“I believe it.”

A loud slam was heard downstairs, followed by a loud “RALSEI! WHERE ARE YOU!?”

“And I believe that means my time here has come to an end. She is… very not happy with me at the moment. My job was to help plead Kris’ case, but I couldn’t get a word out. She’s upset, but for good reason. Don’t downplay her feelings, and for the love of everything sacred to us all, don't say ‘I’m sure they meant well’, because I assure you, you aren’t sure of anything right now. Good luck, Little Prince.”

“To you, as well!” Ralsei said with a wave goodbye.

…

…

…

Kris was, to put it lightly, going through it. Face down, motionless, pillow stained with tears and other such sad facial fluids.

Hey, I uh… oh. Bad time?

Extremely.

Anything I can do?

Die.

Not without you, partner.

I don’t think I have any partners anymore.

Zero to two to zero in one day is pretty harsh.

Fuck you.

Hey, you’re being pissy with me for no reason. I might as well return the favor. 

“No reason”? You didn’t do shit to defend me! 

I’m sorry, did you think Susie was screaming at the wall for fun!? Every time I tried to talk, she told me to shut up! Then she blew up at you and left! What exactly do you think I could’ve done there, dude!?

I don’t know, ignored her? Talked over her? Literally anything!?

…

I want you to hear what you just said, and tell me honestly that you would’ve let that slide.

I… No. I wouldn’t have.

Kr–... Kid, I know that you’re upset. You’re hurt, and you need someone to blame, and I fill that role the easiest. But at some point, you’re going to have to take responsibility– real responsibility – for your actions. I didn’t lie to them. You did. You have to own up to your mistakes to fix them.

I did . Look where that got me.

Yeah, okay. Sometimes shit goes south. You know what you do when that happens? You respect the other person’s boundaries, give them some time, and you try again later, when they’re ready. I’m sure Noelle would be open to talk, if not to you, then maybe to me. I know she’d let me plead your case.

Would you let me try? Or is it sulk-and-die?

… Fine. Whatever. You can’t do much more harm, I guess. Just go.

Thank you. And please, eat something. They’re upset, but they still care about you.

… I’ll try.

…

…

…

Noelle could be seen sitting on her bed, facing the center of her room, with her comforter bundled around her. It was easy to tell that she was lost in thought. What would be the best approach to this?

“Um… Hi, Noelle.”

Noelle turned to look to her right, where she heard the voice come from.

“If I’m hearing a disembodied voice, that means you must be the SOUL, right?”

“The one and only. Are you okay to talk?”

“Depends. Can Kris like… hear me through you, or something?”

“Definitely not what I thought you’d ask. Uh, no, I’m not wearing a wire or anything. If you want me to keep a secret, I can, though I… doubt now would be the best time to do so.”

“I guess that’s fair.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with talking to me? I won’t blame you if you're not. If you want me to leave, just say the word.”

“No. Kris said you didn’t want to hurt anyone. I might have had my doubts, but you’ve already been… oddly respectful about everything.”

“Well, at least you recognize that. I also appreciate being able to get a sentence out. I understand where Susie was at, mentally, but if I could’ve just talked to her, things might have gone a lot smoother.”

“I just don’t know how we’re going to get past this.”

“Time, effort, and trust.”

“But how? They didn’t trust us with the truth, and now I can’t trust them to be honest.”

“Noelle… are you okay with me talking about what happened? Earlier today and all those months ago?”

“... Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Okay. Before Kris sat you guys down, we came to an agreement that we would tell the truth. I would defend them, and they would defend me.”

“Was it at least their idea to tell us?”

“... No. I’m afraid it wasn’t.”

“Of course not.”

“Just bear with me, please. We got as far as telling you two the truth, but we never got to plead our cases. I’m here to do that now. Now, I can’t speak for Kris– wait, shit, that’s probably super insensitive to say. Regardless, they regret what they’ve done. They were scared and angry, and didn’t want my absence to cause you two to leave.”

“Well, now we know that you were in control. How can we know that what you did was what Kris wanted?”

“Because they told me. I’ll explain. Whenever I was given a decision, it was a choice between actions that Kris’ subconscious chose. Sometimes it would be subtle, and sometimes it would be them pleading ‘nonononononononono’ to reading an anime review. My only options were ones that they themself might choose to do. If I chose anything that they didn’t like, I would know, go back, and make a different choice.”

“What do you mean by ‘go back’?”

“Right, I never explained SAVES. Okay, think of a video game. You know how you make it to a flag or a bonfire, and you can return there if you die? A similar situation occurred during Kris’ adventures. At most resting spots or before big fights, there would be SAVE points that could be used as anchors in time, in case anything… went wrong.”

“Are you telling me that Kris has died before?”

“Well, not permanently, and not just them, but yes. Sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to defeat an enemy. Sometimes it takes dozens. Sometimes… sometimes it takes hundreds. I’m not sure how much of it Kris remembers, and frankly, I’m scared to ask.”

“Sweet Angel, that sounds horrible. But… I don’t remember ever dying to anything, so maybe they don’t either?”

“As far as I can tell, I’m the only one who remembers, but there’s a good chance they do too. Sometimes, it would feel like they remembered everything that happened. But dying isn’t the only way to go back to these SAVE points; I could manually RESET back to my most recent SAVE.”

“Are you not able to do that anymore?”

“I haven’t seen a SAVE point yet, so I’m not sure.”

“So, if you said something Kris didn’t like, you’d just… RESET and choose another option? Doesn’t that seem a bit manipulative?”

“I prefer to think it was more like a form of apology for getting the ‘wrong answer’... but yes, it could very well be described as ‘manipulative’. They never tried to stop me, though, and it happened so rarely that I don’t think they care. It wasn’t on their list of things to yell at me for, so… I’m not sure.”

“That makes it a bit better, I suppose.”

“If it helps matters at all, none of this was my choice. I was put here against my will. Sort of. It was my choice to visit this world, to see what it was like, but I was promised a vessel of my own. A body I could call ‘Me’. Instead, I was forced to possess Kris and was issued an ultimatum. If I felt bad about possessing Kris, then I could stop at any time! But if I did, your world would end. Now, can you see why I had to do the things I did?”

“Yeah, that’s… horrible, for both of you. Neither of you had any say in this?”

“Correct. I was promised a vessel, but instead I possessed a mentally ill teenager, and the world ended if I stopped. And Kris, of course, has rightfully hated me for it since day one.”

“Well, yeah, that makes sense. A benevolen-”

“Yeah, yeah, ‘a benevolent puppeteer is still a puppeteer’, trust me, I’ve heard it before. So, now that I’ve pleaded my case, do you think you can start to forgive Kris? I understand they lied to you, and I know that hurts beyond words. But everything I did was what they let me do. They could stop me from doing things they didn't like. Talking to you was never one of them.”

“... If that’s true… then I’ll try. I’m still hurt, but I can try to forgive them. I do love them, you know. It’s just hard loving someone who barely loves themself.”

“I can sympathize. I love the kid, too. Certainly not in the same way you do, but I have wanted nothing less than the best for them. For all of you. But I owe it to them to help. Even if that means talking for them when they’re too hurt to.”

“Susie really did a number on them, huh?”

“You did, too, but yes, it was mostly crushing guilt and Susie’s reaction that hurt them the most.”

“I don’t get it. They lied so easily. How– why are they so hurt by this?”

“They couldn’t tell the truth, and they couldn’t lie. No matter what happened, this was the result. It’s a shitty choice that they were saddled with against their will. Again, they were afraid and upset. Lying at least gave them a few months of peace.”

“When you phrase it like that… there really was no good outcome to this, was there?”

“Not without everyone being hurt. But, there is an upside to this whole situation.”

“Care to tell me exactly how that’s the case?”

“It’s been four months. Kris can prove that they value Susie’s friendship since they’ve stuck with her this whole time. If they told the truth out of the gate, you wouldn’t be as hurt, but there’d be no way in hell to convince Susie they were actually her friend.”

“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. So… they lied so they could tell the truth later?”

“Makes sense to me.”

“Normally, it wouldn’t, but this is Kris we’re talking about.”

“So… How are you feeling about all this, knowing what you know now?”

“Better. I’ll try to talk to them later. I still need some time.”

“Of course. Take all the time you need. I’ll try to tell Susie what I told you, but… I don’t see that going as smoothly.”

“Good luck. And before you go… thank you. For checking on me. For making sure everyone is okay, and not just Kris. Or yourself. I know this might be strange to say, but I’m not sure that many people in your position would be as caring as you. I appreciate it.”

“Of course. I just want to see you all happy. You all matter greatly to me, even if that isn’t reciprocated.  And I can assure you… most of them aren’t. Goodbye.”

…

…

…

Thank you.

Kris was sat at the dining room table with the pancakes in front of them, face still damp from tears. The stack of pancakes was one or two shorter, with the top one being half-eaten.

For letting you talk to Noelle, or for eating?

Both. She’s taking some more time for herself, but she’ll talk to you when she’s ready.

Alright. Since you’re apparently actually improving the situation, is there anyone else you want to visit?

I want to see how Susie’s doing, see if I can talk to her, but it’d be safer to revisit Ralsei and ask what he thinks. My hunch was right, by the way, she’s in Castle Town blowing off some steam.

At least she’s working through it.

I told Ralsei to just distract her. Turns out he knew the whole time, and the last thing anybody needs is a repeat of what happened thirty minutes ago. Is there anything you want from me before I go? Anything I can do at all?

…

Do you think they’ll ever really forgive me? Is there any chance at all that things will go back to how they were last night? 

I hope so, Kris. I really do.

They closed their eyes and thought of Ralsei...

Chapter Text

Shortly after the SOUL left Ralsei, his door slammed open.

“There you are! C’mon. We’re going to the Dojo. I need to hit something.”

“Susie! What a pleasant surprise! What happened? Where’s Kris?” Ralsei decided to feign ignorance. Susie would talk when she was ready to.

“Don’t know. Don’t care. Let’s go.”

“Okaaay… Are you alright?”

“Not now, Rals. I just need to clear my head.”

Ralsei decided not to respond and instead followed Susie down the staircases, past the cauldron, and out of the castle. Castle town had grown considerably over their adventures, but the buildings at the heart of the town remained.

The Dojo had gone through another remodel, but since their adventures had ended, it wasn’t used too frequently for fighting and had become more of a gym than anything. The walls were lined with racks of weights, punching bags, benches (for lifting and/or sitting), and more.

Susie made her way over to the punching bags, where a Bloxxer was practicing their attacks. Ready to make the suspended sacks of sand regret being made in the first place, Susie delivered one swift blow after another.

Ralsei thought back to the SOUL’s warning and about how mad Susie would be if she found out. He imagined himself in place of the bag. After two harsh hits where his face would’ve been, he shudders.

Maybe telling the truth could wait.

“Susie… are you sure that you’re alright?”

Susie paused her assault.

“No, Rals. I’m not.” She turned to face him. “I’m not okay. I just found out the person I kissed last night was lying to me the entire time I knew them. The fuckin’ thing we banished months ago is back, and apparently they’re in cahoots now, but weren’t before, or some shit? GAH, WHY CAN’T ANYONE JUST GIVE IT TO ME STRAIGHT!?” She put her whole body into the next punch. A tear had opened, and sand was now pouring onto the floor.

“Susie… would you like to go see Lancer? It might be better just to get your mind off things than to stew in your anger.”

“... Yeah. Sounds good, man.”

She stormed out of the Dojo, Ralsei in pursuit. A quick walk to the Bakery later, and Lancer was found inside, holding a piping bag of dark blue icing. He was decorating a cake under the careful guiding hand of the Top Chef.

“Lancer!” Susie yelled to get his attention.

“Susie Rex! You’re back!” Lancer ran over the counter, bolting over to Susie. He was moving too fast, however, and slammed into her, falling back on his back. Both he and Susie laughed at this, and he promptly jumped back up. “Would you like to try my dastardly delectables?”

“I think the word is ‘delicacies’?”

“Nerd alert!” Susie said, bumping Ralsei’s shoulder.

“Haha, yeah! Looks like the nerd brigade is back in town! Sound the alarms!”

“... How about we have a look at these delectables?” Ralsei relinquished.

They all walked back over to the counter, where a half-decorated cake sat on a stand. The Top Chef greeted them. 

“Hero Beast! Hero Prince! Would you two be in need of another cake?”

“Nah, Kris still… Uh, nah. We’re good.” 

“Well, would you like to see how the Young Prince is coming along? With my teachings, he has reached heights not even I thought possible!”

Susie looked over at the half-decorated cake. The sides looked good, beautiful even, but the top had a smudged, blotchy rendition of Lancer and Top Chef together, with the words “I HEART BAKING DAD” on top.

“Aww, how sweet, Lancer!” Ralsei cooed.

“Okay, that’s just too stinkin’ cute,” Susie said, internally matching Ralsei’s reaction.

“I know! Maybe portraiture has been my calling this whole time!” 

‘He knows the word “portraiture”, but not “delicacies”???’ Ralsei questioned.

“Ah, yes, while your decorative skills certainly are… unique, Young Prince, your baking is phenomenal!”

“Really?” All three asked in unison.

“Yes! Textures I’d never felt, ingredients I hadn’t considered, flavor combinations never before seen! The boy’s a cake maestro! Mama Miba!” Top Chef exclaimed.

“Here!” Lancer threw himself back over the counter and popped up from behind it, holding a tray of unfrosted cupcakes. “These are my world-famous Lancer Muffins!”

“Don’t mind if I do!”

“Thank you, Lancer!”

The two heroes each grabbed a “muffin” and gave it a bite. It felt… rubbery? Tough to chew, but not unpleasant. And the taste was actually quite good! It was as if licorice was actually palatable! There were notes of raspberry and vanilla, as well. All-in-all, there was a lot going on at once, but it was by no means a bad muffin, unless you count the fact that it wasn’t technically a muffin at all.

“This is fantastic, Lancer! I see your time here has been well-spent!” Ralsei praised.

“Lancer. My man. These muffins kick ass. Could I get like, a dozen more? I wanna share these with… Uh, never mind. I’ll just take another.”

“Mama Miba, such high praise! My student, I’m so proud of you!” The Top Chef was now crying tears of joy.

While Lancer and Susie were still talking about the muffins, Ralsei felt a presence observing the room…

…

…

…

Ralsei could be seen standing in front of the Bakery counter, next to Susie. Lancer was presenting what appeared to be a sheet of plain cupcakes, and the Top Chef was spinning while crying. As per usual.

“Don’t acknowledge me verbally. If you can hear me, adjust your scarf.”

Ralsei loosened the knot on his scarf, moved it a little to the right, and tightened the knot.

“Okay, good. Do you think you could find an excuse to leave?”

“Susie, since you appear to be much less… tense, would you mind if I got back to finishing up my princely duties?” Ralsei asked.

“‘Princely duties’? When I found you, you were just standing in your room.”

“Sometimes a prince’s duty is simply to tidy up now and then!” Ralsei defended.

“Yeah, alright. You do you, man. Thanks for sticking with me. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, Susie. Goodbye!”

Ralsei made his way out of the Bakery and up the path to the Castle.

“So, why are you back? Is everything okay?”

“Better than before, I think, even if slightly. I was just coming to check up on Susie, but I figured visiting her directly was a no-go. She seems to be doing better, though.”

“Yes, the punching bag at the Dojo helped relieve some anger…”

“Oh, that’s good!”

“... Before she destroyed it.”

“Ah. That’s… less good. How is she now?”

“Still hurt, but calmer. She’s been trying to avoid talking about Kris.”

“I can understand why. I just have no idea how I can help here.”

“Have you been helping elsewhere?”

“Yes, thankfully, Noelle was willing to hear me out. I told her about mine and Kris’ situation, she agreed that while their decision was a poor one, it was a lose-lose scenario, and is open to speaking to Kris once she’s had more time to recover.”

“That’s very kind of you. I’m glad things went well.”

“I try. I owe it to you all, after all.”

“Why do you feel that?”

“I interfered where I shouldn’t have, even if it wasn’t by choice. The courses of all of your lives have been permanently altered, thanks to me. And now, I’ve been sent here to interfere further, whether I like it or not. I’m only trying to use my position to help now that I’m not hurting Kris, but we can all see just how great that plan turned out! I haven’t even been back a full day, and I’m already ruining everything again. Naturally.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that! Everything that happened was fated to happen; you just made the best of it. Things may not be great right now, but you’re doing what you can! That’s all anyone can ask of you.”

“... Of course. You’re right, Young Prince. I’m… sorry to have attempted to burden you like that. It was not my place to do so, nor is it your place to suffer it. You’re just a child.”

“Hey, I’m not ‘just’ a child!”

“Of course not, but after your adventures, I’m afraid you all were left a bit more mature than you should have to be at this age. People your age should be worried about making friends and  making  plans  with  those friends. Not ruling a town and worrying about the fate of the world!”

“I don’t think having a ‘normal’ childhood was in the cards for any of us.”

“I’m afraid not. And I mourn that for all of you. But back to the task at hand.”

“Right. So, do you have a plan for how to talk to Susie?”

“I have a few ideas. I could ask Noelle to try to talk to her. She’s just about the only person Susie isn’t upset with. I could just go harass Susie, but I don’t see that ending well for anyone, since she knows that I only go where Kris sends me. Or, I could just give her time, but that just leaves everyone tenser than they have to be. I have to do something before it’s too late.”

“Why would it be too late? Is something going to happen?”

“Not really, it’s just that something like this is best handled quickly. Like a scrape; if it’s bandaged, it’ll heal faster, cleaner, and without the risk of infection, but if nothing is done about it, it’ll heal slower, messier, and something nasty might linger. I can’t let that happen.”

“Well… Neither can I!” Ralsei said, putting on his most determined face. “If there’s any way I can help you help my friends, just tell me, and I’ll do it!”

“Your determination is admirable, Little Prince. Maybe you could try to convince Susie to have a chat with me? Only if you feel safe, though.”

“Hey! I get that she’s scary, but she’s not the kind of person who would hurt her friends!” Ralsei yelled, upset at the soul’s assumptions.

“I… I’m sorry. You’re right. I had forgotten how far she’s come since the beginning. It won’t happen again. Now, go see what you can do. I’ll go talk to Kris about our next steps.”

“Apology accepted. Good luck!”

“And to you, as well.”

…

…

…

Chapter Text

Kris could be seen sitting on their living room couch, looking much less disheveled than before. They must have taken some time to clean themself up. The empty food containers were no longer in sight, so they finished eating at least, but now they were just staring at the spot where Tenna used to sit, lost in thought… or lack thereof.

Hey. I’m back.

How’d it go?

She’s better, but actively trying to avoid thinking of you.

Great.

This isn’t beyond saving. Don’t lose hope.

You’ve been spending too much time with Ralsei.

And you have spent too much time sulking. C’mon, isn’t there anything you wanna do?

Not without them.

We could just go outside. Start simple. You could do with the sun.

You don’t have permission to use the royal “we”.

Fine. Go outside and drag me with you, then. Please. Some fresh air would be good for you.

Jeez, going through all the effort to possess me just to make me take care of myself. Why couldn’t I have gotten a cool angel?

One, not possessing you, technically, I think. I’m more of a passenger at this point. Two, this was effortless. In point of fact, this was done against my will, so that’s negative effort on my end. And three, count your blessings. You could’ve gotten much worse than me. By a long shot.

You’re right! How could I have ever thought so lowly of you, my saviour!

I’m being serious. You are one of many “Kris”es across endless universes, timelines, and possibilities. They’re all exactly the same as you, but each one has a different possessor. I’m not a universal constant, Kris. There’s only one of me. But I know what these other possessors are like, and I can assure you, I am part of a very small fraction of them that actually want to do right by you.

Oh yeah? And what terrible, unforgivable, awful things do they do? Not say “please” and “thank you”?

You don’t want me to answer that.

No, go ahead. Why do you think you’re so much better than them?

You’re in a bad enough place mentally, kid, I don’t want to make it worse.

Try me.

…

Fine. You were warned. Remember that.

Some of them treat your friends like objects. Beat the hell out of everything and everyone they see. Ralsei is only good for healing, Susie is only good for damage. Nothing more. Some of them try to replace you. Take over your life. Act in their best interest instead of your own, thinking this world is theirs to inhabit when it’s not. And some… Some are evil. Psychomanipulate your childhood friend into killing enemies because it’s making her “stronger”, until she murders Berdly. Physically and emotionally abuse her into thinking what she’s doing is normal or good or fine or okay when nothing about it is normal or good or fine or okay . All while you are forced to watch.

They’re bad people, Kris. Many of them, anyway. Some are just curious, but hurting in the name of curiosity is still hurting regardless. I just wanted to make a change. Figured that of all the miserable “Kris”es out there, I could help improve the life of just one. Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me. Just remember that you could’ve done much worse.

…

If there are so many of me… then why do I matter to you so much? What makes me so important to you?

The only changes the possessors can make start after you woke up for school on that fateful day. Every “Kris” lives the same life up to that point. Perfectly identical. But it’s your actions and experiences that shape you, kid. Every “Kris” might start the same, but all of them are different people by the time their story ends. Even if I could go and get a different “Kris”, it wouldn’t be the Kris I know. You matter so much to me because you’re my Kris. And not in any fucked up possessive way, I mean that you’re the person whose journey I aided all that time ago. Any other “Kris” wouldn’t be you .

You’re important, kid. To me. To the people you love. To the people who love you. All of us would be worse off without you. So please. Could you just accept that I want to help you? Not for any nefarious purposes, but because… I wanna be your friend? Because the people around you deserve to see you at your best? Because you deserve to live your best life?

Do you think that you could forgive me long enough to help you?

Kris was stunned. How does someone even react to that? The multiverse was real, infinite versions of them are being tortured by other possessors, their possessor is apparently “one of the good ones”, and now it… 

It wants to be their friend. It wants to help. It’s begging for forgiveness. Not even for its own sake, it only wants them to forgive it so it can keep helping.

But it possessed them.

Not by choice.

It took over their life.

Not really. They lost, what, a week? Maybe two? And got so much more out of it than they ever could have hoped.

It hurt them.

It did everything it could to help. It did what they wanted it to do, whether they realised it or not.

It can’t want to help.

And yet it does.

I can’t.

That’s okay. 

It’s not. It’s selfish and rude.

You need time. Accepting something that feels so fundamentally wrong can take time. I have plenty.

Susie was right. It’s been four months.

It’s time.

You don’t have to.

You’re right. I don’t. Which is why this matters.

I…

I forgive you.

Suddenly, they were wracked by a sob. Covering their mouth with a hand, they wrapped their other arm around their shoulder, hugging it tightly. Tears were in freefall once more.

If there was any comfort I could offer, I would. Thank you, Kris Dreemurr. This means the world to me.

There was a weight lifted off their shoulders. Why were they so reluctant to accept this? Was it somehow easier to stay hurt than to forgive? Forgive the grave transgression of… making the best friends they could ever have asked for? They felt terrible. Why had they thought themself better than this apparent paragon of virtue? 

I’m such an idiot.

You’re not stupid. You’re hurt. You don’t have to not be hurt. You just can’t let it hurt those you care about. And I never thought myself to be among them, so I was patient. All we can do now is move forward. We still have Susie to help.

That… sounds good. Let’s go.

Kris unwrapped from themself, got a tissue from a kitchen drawer to dry their face. After they looked a bit less like a wreck, they opened their front door…

… Only to see Noelle with her fist raised to knock.

“Oh. Hey. You’re not gonna punch me, are you?”

“Oh! N-no, of course not! I just wanted to talk. If you were open to it, I mean.”

Go. Talk. Relax by the lake. I’ll go talk to Susie.

You sure? I know she can’t hurt you, but I wouldn’t put it past her to find a way to thrash you.

I’m sure. Go. Get your girl back.

“Alright. Yeah, sounds good. I was just about to go brood by the lake. Care to join me?” They said with a dumb-looking half-smile.

“Faha, sounds like a plan!”

Noelle turned, and she and Kris walked down the Dreemurrs’ driveway. She bumped her hand into Kris’, and for quite possibly the first time in history, they picked up the signal and laced their fingers together.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

Things could turn out okay.

Best of luck. You’ve got this.

Thank you. Good luck with Susie.

They closed their eyes, and for the first time since the argument, they closed their eyes, and with all the hope, love, and DETERMINATION they could muster…

They thought of Susie.

Chapter Text

…

…

…

Susie could be seen talking to Ralsei in her Castle Town room. At some point, a familiar-looking replica of a simple bench was put in her room. The bench had a placard with the shape of a hammer carved into it. It was placed along the wall in front of her wardrobe. Ralsei sat on the bench, while she lay on her bed. She seemed irritated, but not flat-out angry. Ralsei looked nervous as he explained the situation to Susie.

“So, let me get this straight,” she said. “After I left Noelle’s place, that thing just started going around talking to everybody?”

“Well, I think it talked to me first, since you got here right before it left.”

“Wait, you talked to it!? You didn’t think that might’ve been important to mention?”

“You were already upset enough as it was! My focus was just helping you find some peace.”

“... Fine. That’s fair, I guess. Then what?”

“Well, it said that it planned to talk to Noelle–”

“It WHAT!? I swear if it did anything to her, I’m gonna rip it out of Kris’ chest and turn it into paste!”

“Susie, it’s okay! It talked to me again while we were in the bakery! That’s why I excused myself.”

“I thought you said you had ‘Princely Duties’?”

“I… may have bluffed. I just needed a moment to talk to it, that was all. When we were done, that’s when I got you from the bakery so that we could talk.”

“Well, then. What was so important that you had to lie to me?”

“I’m sorry that I lied, Susie, but if I told you what was going on, I don’t know how you might have reacted. I just needed time. If it helps, things went okay with Noelle, apparently!”

“Oh, hooray, the Angel and my girlfriend had a chat, and it was just splendid! Why aren’t we throwing the confetti? OH RIGHT! I HAVE NO IDEA WHO KRIS IS, AND THE THING THAT PRETENDED TO BE MY FRIEND IS BACK!” 

Ralsei felt a presence observing the room, but not him in particular. He looked to the left to confirm his suspicions. He was right. The SOUL was here. 

“Susie, please, just listen to me. It doesn’t mean any harm. It only wanted to help everyone. The world would have ended without it! Could you just give it an opportunity to talk to you?”

“Y’know what? Sure. If I somehow end up being next on its fucked-up list of chores, then I’ll let it plead all it wants!” Susie said with a snarky grin.

“Does that mean now’s a bad time?”

“GAH! STOP THAT!” Susie yelled with a start. She looked to her bedroom door, where the voice was coming from. “Dammit. FINE. If you wanna talk so bad, talk!”

“Susie, I know how this situation looks. I know what you’re going through.”

“Yeah, right. You don’t know anything.”

“You’ve been lied to far too much. The person you considered your best friend just admitted that the adventures you went on that made you friends in the first place weren’t actually with them, but the force controlling them. They hurt others around them, trying to convince you all that you were wrong. And now the thing that pretended to be them is here before you to try and convince you that it and the person who stabbed you in the back are actually innocent in all of this, and that you shouldn’t hate them, but forgive them, which you’re in no mind to do. Does that about summarize it?”

“Okay, you actually know a surprising amount. Yeah, that’s about right. So why are you still here?”

“Because I believe that I still have a shot.”

“Then you’re a damn idiot. But fine. You have ONE chance to try and convince me that you’re not evil and that Kris isn’t a liar.”

“Well, I can definitely do one of those. I’m afraid Kris did lie to you, and while I can’t condone it, I can tell you that they didn’t have much choice.”

“And why exactly is that?”

“If they told you as soon as they were rid of me, this exact thing would have happened. You would’ve figured out that the person you’d gotten to know over the past week was a fake, and you’d still be in this exact situation.”

“So? What’s different? They still lied to me, and I’m still angry. Didn’t avoid much.”

“No, but they at least have evidence.”

“Evidence of what?”

“That they really are your friend. That they really do love you, Susie. Why would they come up with this convoluted story to support a half-believable lie, just to keep being around someone they don’t want to be friends with? That makes no sense, even for Kris.”

“You’ve got a point, but so what? They have receipts. Cool. They still lied to me, and haven’t apologized for it.”

“You kinda didn’t let them. You have every right to be upset, Susie. I’m not saying it’s unreasonable, but I am saying you don’t know the full picture. If I could just explain everything… then maybe you could go talk to them yourself. Get the apology you need.”

“I already said you can talk. Now hurry it up.”

“Okay. I came to this world the day you found the Dark World. No later, no sooner. When I came here, I was told I’d have a body to call my own, but I was tricked and instead told that I was Kris. Not in control of them, I was them. I learned quickly that this wasn’t true, though, and did everything I could to make up for the fact that I was controlling Kris. Made them as many friends as possible, made the choices that they wanted me to make, and did everything I could to help the people they care about. But not all of their actions were mine. Remember your encounter with the King? When they lunged out in front of you to protect you with their shield? That wasn’t me. That was all them. Even since day one, it was clear to me that they cared about you. I’ll tell you what I told Noelle. They could stop me from doing things they didn’t like. Getting them closer to you was never one of them.”

“Wow… you really talk a lot.”

“I have a lot to talk about. Especially when I’m defending myself and someone I care about.”

“So you possessed them, but now you ‘care about’ them?”

“Not by choice, and yes. I care very deeply about them. I care about all of you! All I wanted was to keep you safe!”

“You keep saying all this stuff, but how should I believe you? Okay, you didn’t hurt anyone. You’re not a total asshole. Awesome. Doesn’t mean you give a shit.”

“If I didn’t, then why would I be here? I already gave up on the idea of you forgiving me, Susie. I’m here for Kris’ sake. They need you. They love you. I swear it. It’s true that I had to make most of their decisions, but they had varying reactions depending on what choices I made. I could only control what they said or did, but how they said or did it was up to them. They were always happiest with any option that involved you. If that doesn’t convince you, then I’m not sure what I can say anymore. Just go talk to them. Give them the opportunity. Please. They’re hurt, Susie. Nothing that happened regarding their possession was because of them, yet they’re left with the consequences. None of this is fair to anyone, but you all can make it through this if you just show a bit of understanding.”

“Do you always fuckin’ monologue when someone hurts your feelings?”

“Stop deflecting. Give them a chance, Susie.”

“And why should I? If they wanna talk to me so bad, they can find me themself. I’m sure you already told them I’m here.”

“You really think they’d chase after you after what you said at the Holiday Manor? You ripped them to shreds with that comment, Susie.”

“I was pissed off, alright? ‘Sides, they still had Noelle to talk to.”

“Not quite. They got to talk for a minute, but she told them to go home. Said she needed time to herself. All they needed was understanding, and they never even got a chance to explain. They went home and broke down on their bed. Scared. Miserable. Alone.”

“Well, at least they had their new best friend watching over them!”

“I assure you, I was the last thing they wanted near them.”

“From what I hear, you weren’t around for long. How did your chat with my girlfriend go, by the way?”

“Fantastic. She actually had it within her to muster up some empathy for Kris.”

“Hey dumbass, if you want me to listen to you, don’t piss me off!”

“I wouldn’t have if you would just listen to what I’m saying! But no, you can’t possibly comprehend that someone else might just have it worse than you! You can’t live with the fact that you also handled the situation incredibly poorly! It’s apparently unthinkable to you that THIS WHOLE ORDEAL was just as against my will as it was Kris’! But that doesn’t matter. Anything that lets you stay the only victim, right?”

“... I fuckin’ knew you were hiding something. From how Ralsei talked about you, it seemed like you were a bona fide saint. But deep down, you’re no better than anyone else.”

“I never said I was. Nor did I try to be. Being patient is just something I’m usually good at. You just happen to be the only person in town stubborn enough to finally wear me down. Kris didn’t even get this far. Arguing with you is like debating a wall. I give up. You win, Susie. The big bad SOUL’s packing it in. Have fun moping in your room while the others are actually having a productive conversation by the lake. Give Ralsei my regards.”

“Hold up, you can’t just–”

“Oh, so you’re the only one who’s allowed to get upset and leave at a moment’s notice? Man, must suck to be on the receiving end of that, huh?”

“I changed my mind. You are an asshole.”

“Believe it or not, child, I didn’t want this to go so poorly. I wanted to do what I could to help. But you wouldn’t let me. Remember that. If you want things to get better, you’re on your own, now. I’m sorry.”

Susie sat in stunned silence. Seeing that she had no more to say, the SOUL took its cue to leave.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Kris and Noelle had just reached the lake when the SOUL returned.

They were standing at the lakeshore, still holding hands. Noelle spoke up first.

“It’s… hard to believe that things went the way they did so quickly. To think that just last night, we were all here. Together. Not a worry in sight.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this.”

“I know, Kris. I just… It’s still hard to wrap my head around it all. The SOUL said that it was better this way, in a way, and it made enough sense, but… You couldn’t even tell me? Just in secret or something?”

“I’m pretty sure two people lying to one person is worse than one lying to two. At least Susie’s not upset with you.” 

“I guess that’s fair. Do you plan on talking to her at some point?”

“I doubt she’d let me. Plus, the SOUL is already working on that front. Or, it was. It just came back, but isn’t saying anything.”

Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Figured I’d stay quiet.

How’d it go with Susie?

Bad. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, I fucked up. She made what was supposed to be a serious talk into a pissing contest, then we yelled at each other a bunch, she insulted me, I insulted her, and then I gave up and left. I should’ve handled that better. I dropped the ball. I’m sorry.

Well, I’m not happy, but I’m also not surprised. 

“Okay, so I just got bad news on the Susie situation.”

“Oh no, what happened?”

“Well, she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of talking to the thing that pretended to be me for a week, so she wasn’t really receptive.”

“What happened? Is everyone okay?”

Aside from the fact that she’s pissed at me, yeah, everyone’s fine.

“Yeah, sounds like she’s just angry at the SOUL, but otherwise they’re okay.”

“Well, that’s good. Is the SOUL okay?”

“...”

Are you?

It doesn’t matter. Tell her I’m fine. 

“It’s being angsty. I think it’s spent too much time with me.”

“What did it say?”

“Told me to tell you it’s fine. Doesn’t seem like that’s true, though. I think that finally failing to get someone to listen has it in a mood.”

You’re one to talk, Mx. “cried into their girlfriends’ cocoa and pancakes”.

“Oof, yeah, it’s bad. It’s too upset to be witty. Just mean.”

I’m sorry.

That’s better.

“Anyway, we’re not here to talk about it; we’re here for us. Do you want me to send it away again?”

“No, I know it has no ill will. It can stay if it wants.”

Do you?

It still doesn’t matter. Keep me around if you want. I have no one else to talk to. I’m out of ideas.

“Hey, as much as I hate to do this, I think I’m going to have to talk to the SOUL for a minute. Something’s wrong. I haven’t seen it like this before.”

“If it’s important, then I don’t mind waiting for a minute. Are you sure you want to be alone? Is there any way I could help?”

What are you doing? Talk to her, she’s been waiting all day to feel better so that she could talk to you. I’m not important. Go. Talk. To. Noelle.

Nah. Your mask already slipped. I need to know what’s going on with the voice in my head if I’m gonna keep it around.

“If you wanna watch me zone out and relay what you want to know, then I don’t mind staying.”

“Sure. I’m starting to get worried, though. What’s going on with it?”

Noelle walked right up to the water’s edge and sat down, almost exactly where they were just half a day prior. Kris followed and sat an arm’s length away.

“It’s being cagey about its feelings, which is weird, considering the damn thing won’t shut up when I’m sad. And it’s talking differently. You know how it talks in that weird high-and-mighty way without really sounding like it’s trying to be holier-than-thou?”

“So… proper English?”

“Sure. Well, it’s not doing that anymore. It’s talking the same way a teenager would. Not like one on TV, just… a less proper, normal teenager. A moody one, though.”

“And you said it was being mean? Do you want me to have a talk with it?” Noelle said, adopting a stern expression.

“No, I think it’s still just upset after its encounter with Suz.”

“Has it said anything else?”

“Not yet. Let me talk to it for a minute.”

What’s going on with you?

You nailed it. I’m just upset that I couldn’t convince Susie. I’m… I apologise for how I acted. It was immature. You really should talk to Noelle. I’m not a pressing matter. She is.

Uh-huh. So now you’re talking proper again?

Yes. May we move on now?

No. Why’s it got you so bothered that you couldn’t convince her?

I–... It doesn’t–... Hmph. Fine. I’m used to fixing things. I’m used to knowing the best way forward. I’m used to being able to get along with just about anyone I talk to. So for all of that to be thrown out the window by Susie of all people feels apt, but painful. It hurts that I can’t clear your name. It hurts that I can’t fix this. It hurts that I failed. 

Then why hide that?

Because I don’t matter. I know it. You know it. Susie knows it.

Ralsei thought the same thing.

Don’t you dare do that sweet little boy the disservice of being compared to me. We couldn’t be more different.

You’re getting edgy again.

But you know I’m right. I’m not part of this story. I don’t get your happily ever after. I don’t want you to care about me.

Then what was the whole “Don’t Hate Me” campaign for?

I wanted you to let me help you. I don’t want to be important to you.

I don’t think that’s true.

That’s all I can say. I don’t know what else you’d want.

I want the truth.

…

Fine.

Allow me to rephrase.

I want to be your friend. I want to be everyone’s friend. You can’t comprehend how badly I want to be friends with Susie, or Noelle, or Ralsei, or anyone and everyone in Castle Town. I want to matter to all of you. I want you all to be able to rely on me. I want to live a life in Hometown. I want to have a body. I want to be able to hold someone. To comfort them. To tell them that it’ll all be okay. 

But I don’t get that. I don’t get any of it. So it’s less that I don’t want it, but more that I can’t. I can’t want it, Kris. Because if I did want it, by pure DETERMINATION, I would find a way to have it. But we both know what horrid fates befall those who are where they don’t belong.

I want freedom from this fate. But I have the mental fortitude to know that getting it would be a fate worse than death. You’ve seen what it does to people. So I’m content. I know my ending. And it does not let me stay here. So if I must leave, then leave I must. Which is why I implore you. Focus on the people you know will stay in your life. Please. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I have no idea who’s going to stay in my life.

I understand. The loss you’ve faced is something someone as young as you should never have to deal with. But I don’t want you to suffer from my departure. So please. Focus on the people you love. Especially the one who’s been sitting next to you for 15 minutes, waiting to talk to you while you stare at the lake, talking to the voice in your head. Tell her what we talked about if you wish, but move on from me.

Alright. But we’re talking about this later… Mister? Miss? We’ve been referring to you like an object, but that seems a bit insensitive now.

“Mister” is closer, but “it” works fine. Makes me feel ominous and spooky and other such things.

Whatever you say.

“Alright. We’re done.”

“Is it okay?”

“It’s hurting. It feels like it’s a letdown because it couldn’t get Susie to understand the situation. It wants a life it can’t have because of the nature of what it is. It knows that it can’t have what it wants, but it still lives in pretty much constant turmoil because it’s stuck as a spectator in a world it wants to be a real part of, and will never be anything but. It feels like, because of all that, it doesn’t matter, and that I shouldn’t care about it. It was telling me to pay attention to you instead. Sorry for making you wait, by the way.”

Noelle stared at Kris with a mortified expression. After a moment, she stated flatly, “Kris, that’s horrifying.”

“Lots of horrifying things happen to us. This is just another Saturday.”

“Does it appreciate you making light of its situation?”

No.

“No.”

“I didn’t think so. I’m fine with your jokes, Kris, but this is serious. You shouldn’t treat it like it’s not.”

“You’re right. Sorry. To both of you.”

I forgive you. I would clamp a hand over my mouth to muffle my sobs like you did back at the house, but unfortunately, I don't have eyes, hands, or a mouth.

I un-apologize.

Fair enough.

“Alright, I’ve had my talk with the SOUL. You have my full attention.”

“Okay, well, I’ll try to make it quick.”

“You don’t have to. You’re not wasting precious moments. We have time.”

“The sooner I understand all this, the sooner I can forgive you. The sooner I forgive you… Well, you’ll see.”

“What do you need me to explain?”

“Just a few things. Mostly just the SOUL’s choices versus your actions and the SAVE points. And, well… What you were feeling during that week.”

“Didn’t the SOUL already tell you about all of that?”

“Yes, but I want to hear it from you. Just to make sure.”

That’s smart. It’s good that she’s cautious. Tell her the truth. It may hurt to talk about, but it’ll be exactly what I told her. Well, from my perspective at least.

“Okay. Sure. Well, I still had my senses intact. I could see, hear, feel like normal. I just had no control over my limbs, except in a few instances. Or when I ripped it out.”

“I was trying to forget that you did that.”

“Sorry. If it helps, it wasn’t exactly pleasant for me either.”

“It doesn't???”

“Right. So, I had no control over where I went, and very little control over what I did. The only thing I could really decide was how I did something. Whether it was talking or malicious compliance, I was in control of that little aspect of our adventures. It seems like the SOUL only did what I would’ve wanted, though. Like it knew what I wanted even without having any way it could’ve known.”

“Uh… did it not tell you?”

“No, it did. I know about the RESETs. I’ve already forgiven it. It’s understandable, if fucked up.”

I didn’t want to live vicariously through you. It’s your life, not mine. I just wanted to make you happy.

I know.

“If you’ve forgiven it, then I will too. It really did seem like it just wanted to help, even if its means were… less than ethical.”

“You can say that again. But yes, SAVE points. They would be before a big fight or in a resting place. If anything bad happened, we would go back.”

“Does that mean…?”

Does that mean–

“Yes. I remember every death.”

I–... I don’t have enough words that could possibly describe to you how sorry I am, Kris. I had no idea. I was too scared to ask–

“When the SOUL mentioned it, I wondered the same thing, and it said it didn’t know. I really don’t think it would’ve meant to cause you any distress–”

“I know! I know. Sorry, both of you were talking at once. I know it didn’t mean any harm, it just sucks shit at dodging.”

I have poor reaction time, okay?

“But yeah, that’s about it. It told me what to do, and I decided how to do it. And we had SAVEs to fall back on, just in case. Does that all sound about like what the SOUL told you?”

“Yeah, just about. And I’ll trust that it wasn’t telling you anything,” Noelle said with a small grin on her face. 

“Only that I should tell you the truth. So… does this mean that you forgive me?”

Noelle’s smile widened into something softer, more sincere. She scooted closer, wrapped her arms around Kris’ shoulders, leaned in, and kissed them.

“What do you think?” she asked as she pulled away.

“I would hope that’s a yes.”

“Faha, it’d be a pretty weird ‘no’!”

“No weirder than you–”

Heads up, Kris! Behind you!

Kris’ head jerked from Noelle’s direction to look over by the benches.

And standing there, with a small frown, bangs covering her eyes, making no motions to approach any further…

… was Susie.

Chapter Text

Kris immediately stood up and ran to her, instinct winning out over rational thought. The only thing they wanted then and there was to hug her like there was no tomorrow. But as they approached, only a few feet away, they came to their senses. She obviously didn’t want a hug. What were they thinking? They now stood stock still, arms placed stiffly at their side. They looked at the ground. They felt like an idiot.

“Hey,” Susie said in a commanding tone.

Kris looked up at her.

Her expression was hard to read, but something in it softened when they turned their gaze back up to her.

“... C’mere, man.”

Susie held out her arms.

And with a blinding speed, Kris bolted forward, wrapping their arms around her midsection. They began to shake.

Susie spoke.

“I fucked up. Both of us did. I still expect an explanation and an apology… but I owe you one too. What I did was shitty. You just wanted to explain, and I didn’t let you.” 

Susie wrapped her arms tightly around Kris.

“I’ve been angry at everyone for so damn long. I don’t wanna be angry anymore. Not at you, dude. Just tell me what happened.”

She leaned her head down on their shoulder.

They stayed wrapped around each other for a moment. When they finally, reluctantly parted, Kris had no idea what to say.

“What… what changed? Why are you here? I thought… I thought you would never want to see me again,” Kris muttered.

“Well… Your new little buddy is a piece of shit… but it got its point across. We both fucked up. And I shouldn’t have been so stupid. And selfish. And rude.”

You said what to her?

… To be fair, I didn’t call her stupid.

Well. It’s no wonder things didn’t go down smoothly.

Hey, I was desperate. And mad, but that’s not a good reason.

Neither is being desperate.

Touché.

“I can explain everything, I swear. Can you promise not to get mad when it gets to the… rougher parts?”

“I’ll try.”

“Kris,” Noelle spoke up.

Kris turned around to look back at her.

“What is it? Are you okay?”

“How many times have you and the SOUL had to explain yourselves today?”

“Uhh…”

I’ve got one under my belt. You’re at… how many, now?

Well, if we’re not counting duplicates, then you, Noelle, Ralsei, and Susie make four. If we are counting duplicates, then you alone put me in the double digits.

Alright, I get it, I was an ass.

I’m just giving you a hard time, kid. By my count, that puts the total at five.

“In total, at least five.”

“You two must be exhausted by now. Susie, can we at least give them a break? They both explained themselves to me, and I trust them. Can that be enough for now? You can get the details later, but I’m sure the SOUL already told you all it could, and Kris’ explanation was nearly identical, if a bit more… unsettling.”

“... Sure. Alright. You don’t have to tell me right now. I want to hear it from you and not your ghost pal, though. Damn thing’s said enough. You need to teach it some manners or something.”

I really am sorry, Kris. How I acted was terrible. If I could apologize to her, I would.

“I know you might not want to hear this, Suz… but, in its defense, the first thing it did when it got back was apologize for its behavior. It apologized again just now. Would you let it talk to you, just to say sorry to you directly?”

“... I’ll just take your word for it. Thing’s pissed me off enough.”

I guess that’s that, then. Oh well.

Sorry.

Don’t be. This is on me.

“So… what do you want to do now?” Susie asked. “This place is starting to bum me out.”

“Do you two want to go back to my place? We could make something to eat, and maybe watch a movie!” Noelle offered.

“I’d like that,” Kris said.

“I just have one thing I need to ask first,” Susie said.

She grabbed Kris’ shoulder and lowered her head to be eye-level with them, bright yellow meeting dull maroon.

“Can I trust you? Seriously, no more secrets?”

“I swear. No more secrets.”

“Alright. I’ll believe you. Let’s move.”

The trio started to walk away from the lakeshore when Noelle spoke up.

“We should probably stop by the store if we’re gonna make food. Any ideas?”

“Making pizza with you guys sounds fun.”

“Hell yeah, pizza!”

“I guess it’s decided! We should probably make two, since I’m sure Susie’s going to want meat on hers.”

“Yeah, sorry. Definitely gonna load mine up with pepperoni and ham.”

“And I don’t mind having some of both of yours.”

“Oh, finally got over the guilt of having the best of both worlds, didja?” Susie asked with a knowing smirk.

“HEY NOELLE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO PUT ON YOUR PIZZA!?” Kris yelled to distract from their rapidly warming face.

Noelle laughed at their antics and then answered, “I was thinking I’d make a margherita!”

“Your mom lets you drink???” Susie asked, bewildered.

It was now Kris’ turn to laugh. So hard, in fact, that they nearly folded in half.

“NO!!! Goodness, no! It-it’s a pizza with basil, tomato, and olive oil! I don’t think ‘Sans sells mozzarella balls, though, so I’ll have to settle for shredded.”

“Oh. That’s good. Thought I was gonna have like, my ninetieth reason to punch your mom.”

“She’s really not that bad! … Probably! … Maybe.”

“I dunno, ‘Ending The World’ seems like something that would put her pretty far down on my list of people to forgive.”

“Aww, c’mon Susie, she only helped facilitate the end of the world! Give her an honest shot!” Kris teased.

“Oh man, you’re right! Honest mistake, guess I’m still just at eighty-nine. When do you think she’d like to go shoot pool, Noelle?”

“Guys, I know you don’t like her, and I’m not going to ask you to, but she’s still my mom. I’d prefer you not talk about her like this. Not in front of me, at least,” Noelle said, face becoming a bit somber.

“Sorry. We won’t do it again.”

“I’ll try to keep the mom-hating to a minimum,” Kris offered with a thumbs-up.

“I’ll take what I can get. Let’s hurry up; the sooner we make it to the store, the sooner we can make pizza!”

They chatted about various here-and-there topics until they were finally at the storefront. The time passed quickly, but as soon as they were there, Kris looked through the window and grimaced.

“Looks like Mom is still in there. Probably chatting up that sad sack of bones.”

“You really don’t like Mr. Sans, do you?”

“He knows what he has done to deserve my hatred.”

“I can vouch. I don't think he’s evil or a douche or anything, but he is pretty unapologetically irritating.”

“I’m staying out here. I don’t want to have to see anything I could avoid. Plus, I’m not picking any toppings, so you two go knock yourselves out. Have fun. Don’t talk too much shit about me.”

“We’re not going to, Kris, relax a little!”

Susie just cast a nervous glance to the side and nodded. She grabbed Noelle's hand, and they both walked into the store.

There they go.

Is Sans really the only reason you’re not going in there? I’m not saying it’s a bad reason, kid; he’s broken the fourth wall a bit too much for my taste. Just wondering if you had any ulteriors.

Choosing to ignore the presence of a fourth wall. No, I have no ulterior motives. 

Not even the prophecy I haven’t told you about?

Oh. Yeah. That. Not now. 

Alright, but it’s gotta come out at some point.

Like all theater kids.

Ouch. Personal.

You were a theater kid?

I… think I was? It’s strange. I have memories of a life I’m sure was mine, crystal clear, except for two aspects: I can’t remember anyone’s faces. I had a mom. I had a dad. I had friends. But I can’t remember what they looked like. And much more troubling… I can’t remember me. I don’t see myself in these memories. I can’t see what I look like. It’s like… I never existed. Like the world moved on without me.

Can you go two whole hours without experiencing some cosmic horror? 

You’re one to talk.

Well, if you’ve got people to go back to, then we have to get you back, for both our sakes.

That’s… That’s not how it works, kid.

What do you mean? You left once, you can do it again.

There was nothing, Kris. There was nothing for me. No light. No dark. No darker than dark. There was nothing. No one. No one waiting for me. No loving arms to go back to. No bed to lie in. It was a void. Cold, and lonely.

…

Shit, dude. Why didn’t you say anything?

I didn’t think you were in the mood to pity me until about an hour ago. And I didn’t want to make the inevitable that much harder for you.

What “inevitable”? There is zero chance in hell I’m sending you back to that void.

Kris, I have to leave eventually.

And do what? Rot for eternity in a void? I’ve tried that. Wasn’t fun, I tell you.

I’m not going to think too heavily on the implications of that.

Appreciated. I’ve had a rough go of it. But the bottom line is, we’re not banishing you again. Not even Susie would be comfortable with that.

… Alright, Kris. Whatever you say.

Don’t pull that shit. I know we’re not exactly BFFs Forever, but I’m reconsidering the whole “banishing you to hell forever maybe” thing. Why are you so insistent on letting this happen!?

Because then I can stop hurting you!

… You’re telling me you’d rather suffer eternity in a void than risk hurting me by just existing? Even though you know the worst you can do is say something that upsets me?

Correct.

Then that means you care about me more than about eighty percent of the people I know. I’m not doing that to you again. End of story.

If you insist. You’re a brilliant child. I’m sure you could find a way.

Y’know, you keep calling us children. How old are you?

Uhh… no?

Oh no, you don’t. I’ve divulged more than enough. Your turn.

Oh wow, look, you’re closing your eyes and thinking of Lancer or something, oh nooo! Here I gooooo!

Age, buddy. Now. I don’t want a sixty-year-old geezer in me.

Phrasing, kid, good grief.

Quit dodging the question.

Alright, alright. The last thing I “remember” is… I believe my high school graduation. Just a whole lot of school, my graduation, and then it goes blank. So… I’d wager about eighteen?

What!? That would only make you like, a year older than us! You high-and-mighty jerkoff!

I’m sorry! I figured if I spoke with authority, I could get the important things done before you found me out! And, to be fair, I wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Children” my ass. You suck.

Do you hate me again?

Nah. You just suck. That does explain a bit, though. Like why you were so immature with Susie. You were dealing with a stubborn-as-a-wall Junior.

Perceptive. I won’t ask you to keep this a secret, given the promise you made a half hour ago, but please save me the embarrassment of being ousted as a teenager.

I dunno… You do suck…

I graduated from high school for this.

I’m gonna tell them, but I won’t antagonize you for it.

That’s all I ask.

Speaking of them, what’s taking so–

“Hi, Kris! We’re done!” Noelle said jovially as she and Susie exited the store.

Minutes earlier, inside the store…

“Okay, so, I have plenty of flour at home, so we’ll need pepperoni, ham, basil–”

“C’mon. In front of the milk fridges.”

“O… kay? Are you alright?”

Susie pulled Noelle past Toriel, giving a quick offhand greeting, and stopped in front of the store’s coolers. She looked to either side of her before turning back to Noelle.

“Susie, what’s gotten into you?”

“Are you absolutely sure that we can trust Kris? One-hundred percent?”

“What? Of course we can! Susie, I know you’ve been hurt before, and I know you hate dishonesty, but you have to know that this was an honest mistake. It hurt me too, but I took the time to be understanding about it, and it made enough sense that I believe both of them when they say that they’re sorry.”

“See, there’s that, too. The SOUL doesn’t put you off at all? Not even a little?”

“No! It seems like it honestly just wants to help. I think the only reason you two didn’t get along is because you wrote it off before giving it a chance. You decided that no reason would be enough before you even heard its reasons.”

“That… is actually not… wrong.”

“And what became of that?”

“It said I was the only person in town stubborn enough to wear through its patience.”

“I think what you two need is a second chance. Let it put its best… metaphorical foot forward first. Give it a real chance to apologise. Kris will explain their side in time. I understand your wariness, sweetie, but the last thing Kris would want is to hurt either of us again. I promise.”

“... ‘Sweetie’?”

“UH, I-I MEAN–”

“You’re fine, it was cute. And I get what you’re saying. Being mad doesn’t mean I should make an ass outta myself. I’ll… give it a chance. Later. Right now, I wanna make pizza and cuddle the shit out of you two.”

“Faha, sounds like a plan! And thank you. For listening to me.”

“Of course.”

Susie leaned forward and kissed Noelle on her forehead, leaving the deer girl’s nose glowing as a result.

“Alright, let’s get this stuff and get out.”

After about five minutes of shopping and a few minutes dealing with Toriel and Sans’ back and forth, they both stepped outside the shop.

“Hi, Kris! We’re done!”

“Hope you got the good stuff. Turns out the SOUL is an eighteen-year-old.”

“... Cool?” Noelle said, confused.

A look of hard thought fell over Susie’s face, before she yelled–

“WAIT A GODDAMN SECOND, IT CALLED ME A CHILD LIKE IT WAS AN INSULT!”

Uh… Sorry?

You suck.

I know.

Chapter Text

The walk back to the Holiday Manor was largely uneventful. There was light chatter amongst the trio, but nothing of importance.

Entering the house, the three started preparing food in the kitchen. Noelle would make the pizza dough, since she had the most baking experience, and when she was done, Kris and Susie could toss the crusts. Kris had done this a few times in the past, so they had a solid crust. Susie, on the other hand…

… Had a new hat made out of pizza dough.

Kris was once again laughing their heart out while Susie tried to pull the crust out of her hair. Thankfully, none got stuck.

Noelle prepared some more dough, and Kris showed her the proper technique. After finally making a suitable crust, Kris spread marinara sauce across the top of both pizzas-to-be and let Susie and Noelle begin decorating their pies. Noelle carefully laid out thin-sliced tomatoes and whole basil leaves, and spread mozzarella balls (which ‘Sans did carry… under the counter??? At least they were refrigerated down there) across her pizza, while Susie poured shredded mozzarella, sliced pepperoni, and diced ham on the sauce with reckless abandon.

After the pizzas were assembled, they were put in the oven. Now all that was left to do was wait.

“Damn. Three pizzas in two days. I’m giving Toriel a run for her money!” Susie exclaimed.

Kris and Noelle shared a mortified expression as they looked to each other, eyes wide.

“... What’s with the faces?”

“I forget you only moved here somewhat recently. You never witnessed…” Noelle said with a dramatic pause.

Kris spoke in the creepiest, most dramatic voice they could.

“The Hometown Pie Catastrophe.”

“... what.”

“We were only about six years old. The festival drew near. It was announced that there would be a competition: whoever could prepare the most pies in the week before the festival and bring them all to their own booth would win a cash prize, half of which would go to charity.”

“Mom didn’t even care about the money. She just wanted to donate the full amount to those in need. You should consider yourself lucky that you weren’t there. The smell… Oh, Dear Angel, the smell…”

“Everywhere within a dozen yards of the Dreemurr household stunk of cinnamon. The haze of butterscotch was inescapable. Kris had to miss school that week because they couldn’t scrub the smell off themself. No one in class could breathe when they came in on Monday.”

“A deep ache reawakens within my bones when I recall that week. So much work. Constant stirring… piping… kneading… I think I went nose-blind… It's too much to recall! The horrors!” Kris dramatically grasped their hair.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you. It can’t hurt you anymore.” Noelle hugged Kris tightly. They then began to very over-dramatically sob loudly into her shoulder.

“There’s no way any of this actually happened.”

“You haven’t even heard the worst of it. The day of the festival finally arrived. Everyone was on edge. There were only a few booths, with a few pies each… but Toriel’s booth was still empty. She was nowhere to be seen. That should’ve been our first warning. Then… the scent flooded the street. Cinnamon… the harbinger of pies innumerable. We should’ve run when we had the chance. But it was already far too late.”

“The poor saps. They never stood a chance,” Kris said in a somber tone, now unwrapped from Noelle.

“The street went dark, the sun blotted out. Everyone turned to see what had happened...”

“It was enormous. Pies upon pies, the pile did rise, it darkened the skies, it brought our demise! A mammoth monolith of cinnamon and butterscotch!”

“The Dreemurrs, in Asgore’s truck, had come to deliver a tower of what must have been hundreds– if not thousands– of pies, all made with love by Toriel. But something went horribly wrong…”

“What happened!?”

“Asgore had failed to account for the weight of the pastries. He hit the brakes of his truck too hard. The tower began to fall forward, bound for everyone on the street. They tried to run. They failed,” Noelle delivered with the most chilling tone she could muster.

“The resulting Pie-dal Wave was ruthless. The booths were destroyed. The street took weeks to clean. They say the Cattingtons used to have an eldest son. They didn’t after that day.”

“Ever since the incident, no one has ever dared to challenge Toriel’s baking again.”

“I couldn’t eat pie for a year. The pain… it was all too fresh…”

“But I thought you loved her pies,” Susie said, surprised.

“Oh, hell yeah, those things are bomb. But uh… after the incident… I couldn’t even think about butterscotch without the tragedy replaying in my mind.”

“... You guys are totally fucking with me. You have to be.”

“Why do you think we would joke about such a tragedy? Especially at the hands of my own mother… for shame…”

None of that happened, did it?

Absolutely not.

Didn’t figure. Good story, though. Did you and Noelle plan that at all?

Oh, we’ve been waiting to use this for weeks. We just needed an opportunity.

Is that why you suggested pizza?

Call it a happy little accident.

Bob Ross. Nice.

Oh, you remember Robby Ross just fine!

What.

“I still think it’s bullshit, but whatever.”

“Looks like the pizzas are about done! What movie did you guys wanna watch?” Noelle asked.

“How about Arrachni-Lad 2? With Tony MacGuyver, not Andy Heathcliff.”

KRIS, WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT.

“Kris, what the hell are you talking about?” 

“Just freaking the SOUL out, ‘cause it’s funny.”

Oh, thank goodness, I thought I was trapped in some crummy fanfiction or something for a second there.

Heh.

“Seriously though, classic Spider-Man trilogy sounds killer. What do you guys think?”

“That sounds good to me!”

“I think that I’m starting to see where the SOUL learned to be such a jackass,” Susie said.

“I know. I’m just… I’m so proud of the little guy,” Kris said, miming the act of wiping a tear from their eye.

D’aww, aren’t you just the sappiest little shit in town?

Ooh, bold language! My influence sinks deeper… Hehehehe…

Good grief, kid.

“Whatever. Spider-Man sounds good to me. I only watched the third one, but I really liked that Sandman guy.”

“Can’t go wrong with a classic sympathetic villain.”

“Seriously. Damn near shed a tear when he couldn’t grab his necklace thing at the end.”

“Yeah, that, and having to kill someone he never wanted to hate almost immediately after being manipulated by the same thing he was trying to defeat… gosh, it’s such a sad movie.”

“Well, we still have to watch him murder his best friend’s dad and his mentor. Let’s get those pizzas out,” they said, walking over to the oven.

“Wow. Kris has such a way with words,” Noelle deadpanned.

“I’ll say.”

They plated up their pies, the girls each handing a couple of slices to Kris. They piled onto the couch, Kris leaning on the right armrest, Susie in the middle, and Noelle leaning her head on her shoulder. The evening passed pleasantly and uneventfully, and as it did, Kris scooted closer to Susie, mirroring Noelle. It was nice. They laughed at Pizza Time and cried for the Sandman. 

But like all good things, it must come to an end.

“Brings a tear to my eye every time.”

“I can sympathise. Something so dear, so close, yet so far out of reach.”

“Damn, dude. I’m glad we got you out of whatever mess you were in. Even if the SOUL’s one of the good guys now, it’s a relief that you don’t have to deal with that anymore.”

“I appreciate that. But my dark, edgy backstory goes way further back than the SOUL. That was just the cherry on top.”

I truly–

I GET IT. YOU’RE GOOD. ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE FORGIVEN. 

“Kris…” Noelle crawled over Susie and sat on Kris’ legs, grabbing their shoulders gently and making direct eye contact with them. “Kris, I know you blame yourself every day for what happened, but that wasn’t your fault. There is no way it was your fault. No one is making it your fault but you. You have to stop hurting yourself like this. I know if she were here right now, she’d tell you the same thing. Please. I love you, okay?”

She gave them a quick kiss, followed by a tight hug.

“It wasn’t your fault, Krissmas.”

Tears quickly welled in their eyes. They were there that night. Everyone knew it. Even they knew, and they couldn’t remember a thing that happened. They couldn’t help but feel evil for not remembering. The only witness, and they can’t even recall what they saw. How could she say it wasn’t their fault? They were the only person who could be blamed.

You were saying, Kris?

This isn’t the same thing. Not even close.

A situation entirely outside of your control, hurting the people closest to you, and no matter what you do, it can never feel like it will be made right? Yeah, I know nothing of the sort.

I’m this close to going full moody on you again.

I’m sure. Look, maybe I don’t fit in your shoes. Maybe we haven’t experienced the same difficulties. Maybe you’ve been suffering far more for far longer than you let on. But at some point, if you really want to make forward progress, you have to stop killing yourself over the mistakes of the past.

This is a pretty big fucking mistake, wise guy. One that I can never hope to fix. I’ll feel guilty for as long as Noelle says that she loves me. And maybe even then some.

What if I told you that wasn’t the case?

I’d say you’re an asshole for doing so.

I’m being serious. You heard what I said the night of my return. At least, I hope you did. That was pretty pivotal stuff.

Your point being?

I should tell you the full prophecy. 

All of you.

Now.

Can’t it wait?

Not for long. Inaction will lead to irreparable consequences. You can’t afford to find out what those may be.

And here I thought the blackmailing phase of our symbiosis was over.

Not blackmail. A warning. You won’t want to wait when you know what’s on the line.

Fine. Guess I’ll break the news.

“I’ll try. Promise.”

“Thank you.”

“So, um, the SOUL has something that it needs to tell us.”

“Ugh, now? Can’t it wait?” Susie asked with unrestrained exasperation.

“Apparently not.”

“How is it gonna tell us? Are you just going to relay it?” Noelle asked, moving to now sit next to Kris, as opposed to on top of them.

“... I have an idea, but I need you not to freak out.”

“I already don’t like this plan.”

“We’ll try? Can you tell us what you plan on doing?”

“I’m going to try and… pull it out.”

“Seems a bit fast for the first date, but alright.”

“SUSIE!!!”

“I MEANT THE SOUL. I SWEAR I MEANT THE SOUL.”

“I know, I know! I’m just fuckin’ around, jeez, sorry for the heart attack. But… whaddya mean you’re gonna pull it out? Don’t you need that thing to, y’know. Be alive?”

“Not entirely. I’m definitely weaker without it, and I’m sure something terrible might happen if I leave it out for too long. But this should be fast enough that it won’t matter.”

“So… you’ve done this before?” Noelle asked with notable concern.

Even I’m a bit concerned, kid. You remember what happened last time.

“Well, yeah. The last time I did it was just last night, when it came back. I just ripped it out and threw it at a wall ‘cause I didn’t want it in me anymore.”

“And it could speak? Out loud?”

“Not well, but yes.”

“What makes you think it’s a good idea to do it now, then?” Susie asked.

I’m wondering the same thing.

“Well, I’ve noticed that a lot of the shit surrounding the SOUL and its effects on me is metaphorical. Like, it used to feel like a ball of stone inside my ribcage. But when I forgave it, a weight was lifted, metaphorically and literally. I didn’t have to carry that hate with me anymore, and it felt light as a feather afterward.”

“Point being?”

“Well, if I gently remove it with the intent to have a productive conversation, I’m figuring it’ll be a lot less taxing for both of us.”

If you’re sure about this, then I won’t try to dissuade you. I admit, I too am curious.

Only one way to find out.

“If you’re sure about this, dude.”

“Just be careful, Kris! I don’t want either of you to get hurt!”

“Here goes…”

They gently placed a hand over their sweater and pressed down on their chest.

They focused on what they needed to grab.

The SOUL, just a few inches away.

Just reach for it…

Become ethereal…

And…

Their hand gently sank through the fabric and flesh protecting the SOUL.

It gently grasped hold of the glowing red heart.

And with a gentle tug…

… The SOUL was removed painlessly.

“Well, that went better than I thought it would.”

“I must agree–”

“EEEK!!!”

“AUGH!!!”

“Ah! What? What happened?”

“YOU'RE HOLDING YOUR SOUL, DUDE!”

“Yes, I told you that’s what I was doing–”

“IT TALKED!”

“Noelle, it’s talked to you before. What are you panicking for?”

“I thought it would come from the south like it did last time, not the SOUL itself!”

“Interesting. I didn’t realise it would change the origin of my voice.”

“So, do you see things from where I’m holding you?”

“No, I see everything like normal. I guess since I’m not focused onto a single person, I just emit my voice in a radius.”

“Neat.”

“I really think you guys are being way too chill about this.”

“Again, not my first rodeo. It is my first one on good terms, though. How are you feeling, buddy?”

“Fine. Probably due to the lack of being thrown into a wall. You?”

“Same, mostly. Got the usual hollow feeling, but not nearly as shitty.”

“That’s good.”

“I’m gonna have to agree with Susie on this. You two are acting like this is much more normal than it is. I’m glad you warned me, or I might have passed out.”

“You two act like you’ve never seen a human remove their SOUL before!”

“And that you’ve never seen a sentient talking SOUL being held by the kid it was forced upon!”

“Cut the cheesy shit. I’m already getting sick of hearing your voice again. I’m only still here because Kris said you had something important to say. Now say it.”

“Before I do, I want to offer a sincere apology. I said horribly rude things to you that I regretted as soon as I left. I made a terrible first impression, and I know that I can’t undo it, but I did want to apologise as soon as I had the chance. I’m sorry for my behavior and my insults. You deserved neither.”

Susie just stared. She looked to Noelle, who was giving her a pleading look. Susie sighed.

“... Alright. It’s a start. You sounded more honest than I expected, I won’t lie. I’ll try to be less of a jerk too, I guess.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best to make it up to you. To all of you. I promise.”

“Okay, okay, you can start by telling us the thing Kris ripped you out for in the first place.”

“Of course. Now, I should ask that you not interrupt what I’m going to say, as I’m going to be dropping a couple of bombshells, so please save all thoughts, comments, questions, and concerns until the end.”

“Alright.”

“Of course!”

“You got it.”

“Thank you. Now, believe I’ve got this nicely condensed down to three parts. One: there’s a new prophecy. Two: the man who brought me back was thankfully quite forthcoming with it, so I can tell you what it is, or I can give you the general gist if you prefer. And three: I think I know where we need to go to get this over with. You may talk now.”

“Does Ralsei know there’s a new prophecy?” Susie asked.

“No. And telling him would lead to a new kind of existential crisis only Ralsei could have, so I think it would just be better if we solve this situation quietly.”

“Who brought you back? Do you know?” Noelle asked.

“I’m not certain, but I’ve got a damn strong hunch. A man I know both all and nothing about. A man I’ve encountered and who’s never met me before. A man who’s in billions of places yet nowhere at the same time. A being who really only barely fits the description of a man. A man whose very existence is quantum, paradoxical, and unstable in nature. A man whose drive for knowledge has led to him becoming a monster in more than the biological sense.”

“You mentioned him the night you came back. Who is he?”

“I can’t say his name. It’s like reality is allergic to its utterance or inscription. Just refer to him as The Doctor.”

“Ominous. Seems like that’s this guy’s MO.”

“Yeah, I’ve got another question. Why does Kris seem like they’ve heard all this before?”

“Well, I already told you I talked to it last night.”

“I did have to rather hastily explain myself.”

“Okay. Then I think I’ve got the big question on everyone’s mind: what does this new prophecy say?”

“I don’t know if I remember all the details, since I only got one chance to hear it, but here’s what I remember clearly:

The Girl

Her Girl

The Cage

The Soul

To work together 

To reach their goal

To settle this all

To end their plight

The Vessel must rescue The Artist turned Knight.”

“I have… so many questions,” Susie said.

“Seems like I’ve got plenty of time. Shoot.”

“‘The Girl’?”

“Probably you.”

“‘Her Girl’?”

“Likely Noelle”

Noelle was now blushing. But after a moment, confusion seeped into her expression. She spoke:

“Wait… ‘Her Girl’? As flattering as that is to hear, what about Kris? I’m dating them and Susie! Shouldn’t I be… Th-Their Girl, or something?” Noelle’s nose grew bright at the thought.

“That is something I’ve noticed about the prophecies and the big man in charge: they really don’t like to consider Kris a person, which makes me want to hit The Good Doctor that much harder.”

“So ‘The Cage’…” Susie began.

“Would be Kris, yes. With human SOUL and parts!”

“OH, THAT’S WHY IT SOUNDED FAMILIAR!”

“Did I miss something?” Noelle asked.

“When the church got turned into a Dark World, there was a prophecy that said that– the ‘SOUL and parts’ thing. Kinda creepy, now that I think about it.”

“Yeah, having that thrown in my face constantly was not fun, to say the least,” Kris said.

“If it makes matters any better, pal, I never thought that way about you. I’m aware that I am an unwelcome guest.”

“You were. That’s changed.”

“Uh, as of when? Yeah, it’s on our side now, cool, but uh, still gotta be banished, dude.”

“Kris, please, now isn’t the time for this–”

“No. I’m not doing that to you. Not again.”

“What happened?” asked Noelle.

“Kris, if I could just finish answering Susie–”

“It was trapped in a void. Devoid of a life. Of choice. Of friends. Of family. Just like I was when it was forced to possess me. I’m not doing that to it again.”

“KRIS. THAT’S ENOUGH.”

Kris looked down at the SOUL in shock.

“I said now wasn’t the time. We’ve already talked about this. Can we please just move on? I’m sure there are more questions to answer.”

“... Fine.”

“I apologise for raising my voice, but you weren’t listening to me. That topic can wait, okay? We can talk about it with them later. I promise.”

“... Okay. ‘M sorry for not listening.”

“You’re alright, kid. Let’s just get through this. Was there anything else, Susie?”

“Uh, yeah, yell at Kris like that again and I'll punch you.”

“Not for my own sake, but if you do punch me, it will hurt Kris. If it didn’t, trust me, you’d have my go-ahead.”

“Dammit. Fine. But watch yourself.”

“Understood.”

“So, ‘The SOUL’– that one’s obvious. We work together, fine, sure power of friendship, woohoo. Then what? Why would we help The Knight? It is talking about the Roaring Knight, right?”

“I believe so.”

“So the question stands. Why help The Knight?”

“Wait… ‘Artist turned Knight’? You can’t mean…”

“What? Did you figure something out?”

“I’m surprised she’s the first one. With the antlers, the bat-shaped weapon, the fact that they looked the same in the light world, their partnership with Kris–”

“What are you doing!?” Kris scolded.

“Wh– did you not tell her!? What the hell, Kris!?”

“Of course I didn’t! Why would I!? So she could hate me more!?”

“[[ANGEL]], Kid, what is the matter with you!? Noelle, no matter what you hear, please don’t let it affect how you see Kris, because you’re about to hate them.”

“Does that really mean… Kris, please tell me–”

“Noelle, don’t listen to it!”

Kris made a motion to push the SOUL back into their chest– 

– But before they could, Susie snatched it away, holding it above her head.

“ALRIGHT! That’s enough. Answers. Everyone. Now,” She demanded.

“Kris, I can understand lying about me because you thought you would never see me again. But please, PLEASE tell me you didn’t think that way about her.”

“Kris… tell me you didn’t know. Look at me and tell me you didn’t know.”

“Kris, I knew you were working with The Knight, but I was willing to let that slide because Carol forced you into the whole ordeal. But I suddenly get the feeling you’ve been keeping shit from all of us again.”

This was too soon. Not again. Walls closing in. Shadows growing closer. Chest getting tight.

Kris leapt over the back of the couch and ran for the stairs, bolting up them and locking themself in the bathroom.

“Well. This got bad fast.”

“Understatement of the century.”

“SOUL… please tell me it’s not true. Tell me they didn’t know.”

“I can do my best to try and explain the situation and hopefully defend them… but even I’m having a hard time justifying this. I know I was the center of this morning’s scandal, but I played a very different role in all of that. None of this happened with my knowledge or input.”

“So you don’t know anything either?” Susie asked to the heart in her hand.

“Not ‘nothing’, per se, but definitely less than I’d like. Most of what I’m going to say is speculative, so please be patient.”

“So what do you think happened?”

“I know Kris was working with The Knight before I even showed up, which means everything that happened back then was more or less planned out. The Knight was able to call Kris in the Light World, which means it had access to a cellphone. The Knight maintained its form in the Light World, which means it had to be a Lightner, but not one that anyone would realise would be missing while they were out doing knightly things. And I already mentioned the antlers, bat, and the partnership with Kris, which implies an extended history with them.”

“Don’t say it… please don’t say it…” Noelle was now crying outright, tears streaming down her face. Susie had moved closer, wrapping an arm around her.

“I’m sorry, Noelle, but all the evidence I’ve seen points to the identity of The Roaring Knight… 

… Being your sister. December Holiday.”

“Why… why!? Why wouldn’t they tell me!? She’s been gone for six years, and they knew where she was the whole time!?”

“I don’t think they knew until they ‘teamed up’ with her. And by the time they did know, you two were estranged. What was stopping you from assuming any attempt to tell you was just a bad, mean prank? And then when you two got closer during their adventures, I couldn’t let or make them tell you. And then when I was gone… so was she. She just vanished. Nowhere to be seen. Painful as it is, I think they filed her into the same place as me. ‘Not coming back, so don’t bother thinking about it’.”

“How could they…? Why do they keep hurting me…?”

“I really think here and now was the only way this information was coming out. They didn’t even think rescuing her was in the cards until now. I do think that if there was any way they could have told you without sounding like a crazy asshole, they would. Not to mention that doing so would have ruined Carol’s plan, and who knows how that could have ended?”

“So, what do I do? Forgive them for keeping my sister from me?”

“I know it doesn’t seem like it, but when you live in their head, you get a grasp on just how much stupid, hurtful shit they do without meaning to. It is a shockingly large amount. None of the pain they’ve inflicted over the past day has been intentional, contrary to how it may seem. Even just before they let me out, I could hear their mental anguish over December. There was nothing they felt they could do. Getting your hopes up would just hurt worse.”

“... I guess you have a point. A lot of this seems like it’s happening to them, rather than because of them. I just… this hurts so much more than lying about you. No offence.”

“None taken. I remember having a little brother, whom I loved dearly. If my best friend knew where he was after six years and didn’t tell me… I don’t know how I’d react. But I also know that it isn’t as cut-and-dry here. I don’t think you have to forgive them right now. You’re allowed to be hurt. But we all will have to work together if we’re going to save her.”

“If we… save her? Oh, right! RIght! The prophecy said we would save her if the four of us worked together! We can save my sister!”

“Yes, we can! On a few conditions.”

“Ugh, what now?” Susie asked.

“One, Noelle, you’ll have to trust Kris long enough to prove their forgiveness.”

“I did it once today… I think I have one more in me!”

“Fantastic. I know they were close with December, so I assure you, they’re putting themself through hell up there. Speaking of, I should probably get through the other two. So, secondly, Susie, I’m gonna have to ask you for the same thing. Can you trust me and Kris long enough to go rescue your girlfriend’s long-lost sister?”

“Yeah, I think you’ve done enough for me to un-hate you. You’ve been shockingly nice to everyone so far.”

“I try. I do truly lament that you didn’t receive that attitude when first we met.”

“Alright, kiss-ass, quit talkin’ fancy. What’s the third thing?”

“The most important one so far. Noelle, have you had your HVAC system modified at all?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Because I need to vent. Please don’t be suspicious of me for doing so.”

“Ugh, I made one bad reference four months ago, and it comes back to haunt me.”

“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t let it go unaddressed. Among Us? At that specific moment? Really?” 

“It was bad, I know! Can we please move on?”

“Okay, okay, but seriously. I need to use that big closet vent. It connects to pretty much every room in the house. That means I can get to Kris and talk to them without you two having to break the door down.”

“How exactly do you know all of this?” Susie asked.

“Remember the severed hand?”

“‘Severed’–... THAT WAS YOU!?”

“‘Fraid so. Kris had had enough of me that day and turned me loose. Putting it gently.”

“What’s the non-gentle version?”

“They locked me in a closet, and I had to escape on my own through the air ducts. That’s how I already know where to go.”

“Man. They really hated your guts, huh?”

“For good reason, mostly, but yeah. Anyway, I really need to get to that closet. First floor, had a bunch of empty present boxes?”

“Oh, I know which one you’re talking about. Let’s go!”

The girls hopped up from the couch, SOUL in tow, and ran to the closet.

Opening the door, it could be seen that the gift boxes were still present, with a large box once more covering a flimsy-looking vent.

Susie moved the box to the side with her free hand and gently pulled the vent cover off.

“Don’t go snooping. You’ve already seen this place, apparently, so Kris is the only thing that matters right now. Consider this as me trusting you.”

Susie let go of the SOUL, leaving it hovering in front of the duct entrance.

“Wish me luck, girls.”

“Stay safe.”

“Tell Kris that we love them, no matter what they think.”

“I’ll be sure to do so. See you soon.”

The SOUL  then floated towards the vent, entering the airducts. It floated upwards, and then its glow could no longer be seen.

“C’mon. Let’s go wait by the bathroom. Just so that we can be there for Kris. If shit goes south, we can still break down the door.”

“I’ll leave the door open in case the SOUL has to double back.”

They ran out of the closet, over to and up the stairs, and sat by the bathroom door.

The SOUL, meanwhile…

Retracing its “steps” from… months ago? Days ago? It was weird. No point dwelling. It made its way to the bathroom. Except…

There was a problem.

The grate was still in place.

It had not accounted for this.

It decided to simply scan the bathroom for anything it could find. But the lights were off, so it was hard to find Kris’ silhouette, sat slumped against the door… staring directly at the brightly glowing red heart behind the grate.

Shit.

“Kris! Heyyy… buuuddy?”

“What do you want now?”

“Mind if I come in?”

“Yes.”

“Well. That’s inconvenient. Guess you’ll just have to listen to me from here.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Kris, the situation isn’t nearly as bad as you think it is.”

“I’d say it’s pretty fucking bad, genius.”

“Noelle’s already willing to forgive you if you help her get December back.”

“...”

“And no, Susie isn’t going to hit you for having more secrets, or anything like that.”

“...”

“The one thing they wanted me to tell you is that they love you, no matter what you’re telling yourself.”

“... I don’t deserve them.”

“Maybe that’s true. But they’re inclined to disagree. Are you really going to tell them that they’re wrong?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so. Come on, kid. You gotta get back up. You can only make it up to them if you don’t give up here.”

“I’ll hurt them again.”

“You’re out of secrets to keep, kid. There’s nothing to incidentally hurt them with anymore. The only way you’ll hurt them at this point is if you choose to. Like hiding yourself away in a dark room instead of letting them see you.”

“...”

Kris stood up, walked over to the vent grate, and, using the toilet as a stepstool to reach it, pulled away the grate. They softly grabbed the SOUL. With it in hand, they approached the door, unlocked it, and opened it, only to have a lanky deer and towering lizard crush them with a hug.

“There you are, man. I was getting worried.”

“Kris, I’m so sorry for assuming you were keeping it from me to hurt me. You wouldn’t ever do that to me, and I shouldn’t have thought that would change.”

They finally pulled apart so that Kris could breathe and so that they wouldn’t crush the SOUL.

Kris looked bewildered. They looked down at the SOUL.

“How on earth did you talk me out of this? Noelle should hate my guts. Why doesn’t she?”

“Kris…”

“Kid, when the only thing you can do is talk, you better get damn good at it.”

“Evidently.”

“Kris, I was upset, yeah. I still am, a little. But it’ll take a lot more than that to make me hate you.”

“And I figured the last time I jumped the gun on judging you for a big secret, I made everyone scared and miserable. Since I know even less here, I was going to listen more before I judged anyone.”

“I do apologise for making you think you were the problem, Susie. I was overly harsh, and for that I’m sorry.”

“Maybe you were, but you got your point across. Frankly, the bluntness helped.”

“So… what now?” Kris asked.

“We– well, you– should go sit back down and figure out first steps.”

“Sounds good to me,” Susie said, walking back down to the couch, the other three in pursuit.

“So… where do we look first?” Noelle asked.

“I actually had a question, before we talk about that. The prophecy called me ‘The Cage’, but it said ‘The Vessel’ must help The Knight. If I’m not the Vessel… who or what is?”

“I… have no clue. Nothing I’ve seen or heard so far made mention to any ‘Vessel’… except for when I first arrived, but that vessel was discarded before my eyes, so I’m lost.”

“Hm. Well, I guess it’ll be important later. Now, as Noelle asked: where do we look first?”

“The way I see it, there’s only one option: The Shelter”

“We’ve already been there, smart guy. Not much to go back for,” Susie pointed out.

“Well, the idea may hold merit. I’ve noticed the SOUL doesn’t tend to guess about anything without having substantial evidence.”

“That’s… fair enough. It does know a lot more about pretty much everything than I thought it would.”

“Yes, thankfully, the voice in my head isn’t a total idiot.”

“How kind, all of you.”

“But seriously, why the Shelter?” Susie asked.

“Well, that’s where The Knight… where December retreated to after leaving Kris’ house. That, and there’s a low noise that emanates from the bunker itself. A low, slow sound, but one nonetheless intrinsically correlated with The Doctor.”

“So what do you think we should do?” Noelle asked.

“Well, as Kris and Susie are well aware, multiple fountains opened in the same environment will produce thematically similar Dark Worlds. But if one fountain’s will differs from another’s, the Dark World will be notably different. So, if we have a child whose life was irreversibly changed against their will by the SOUL ‘possessing’ them, which also was thrust into this situation against its will, both entities would want nothing more than to find the man who did this to them. Thusly, a fountain made by said child ‘possessed’ by said soul made in the environment that would most likely yield a route to said man might just get us to The Doctor… and to December Holiday.”

“Wordy, but I think I got all of that,” Susie said.

“I hope this works.”

“We can test it tomorrow. I don’t know if it’s really that late, or if not having the SOUL is starting to show its effects, but I’m exhausted.”

“Yes, I think it’s well past time I go back to where I belong. Night all!”

“Good night!”

“This still feels really weird, and I feel like I’m the only one who realizes that.”

“You get used to it,” Kris said, gently pushing the SOUL back into their chest. “Hm. Yeah, still really tired.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to feel ready for bed, too.”

“Welp, bedtime!” Susie yelled, scooping her partners off the couch, throwing one over each shoulder.

“WOAH. Susie! Where are we going???”

“Bedtime,” she repeated.

“Kris???”

“Bedtime,” they stated plainly.

“?????”

Susie made it into Noelle’s room.

She gently set Noelle down.

And then tossed Kris onto the bed, climbing in after.

“Kris likes the wall. C’mon,” Susie encouraged, patting the bed next to her.

Noelle sighed. “I will never understand you two,” she said with a grin as she cuddled close to Susie.

“I don’t even think that’s possible.”

“The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.”

“Goodnight, you two. I love you!”

“Love ya too.”

“Love you guys.”

Good night, Kris. Rest well. Tomorrow’s a big day.

Good night.